Hudson Valley Honor Flight Postpones 2021 Fall Flights Due to Rise in COVID Cases
Regrettably, Hudson Valley Honor Flight has decided to postpone their 2021 fall flights. In the two months since the announcement to resume flights in the fall, a rapid and alarming rise in the COVID case and hospitalization rates around the country, due in-part to the highly contagious Delta variant, has forced us to re-evaluate the level of risk that our veterans, and all participants, would face.
Participating veterans range in age from 86 to 97, a particularly vulnerable age group, regardless of vaccination status. With this in mind, the Board of Directors has unanimously voted to postpone flights until the level of risk from COVID-19 has significantly diminished. Ensuring the health and safety of our veterans is a core principle of Hudson Valley Honor Flight and is the primary factor in this decision.
Additionally, there were a number of contributing factors considered in this decision. The far-reaching effects of the uptick in COVID-19 transmission rates will negatively and significantly impact the honor flight itinerary, both locally and in Washington, D.C.
Hudson Valley Honor Flight is deeply saddened to disappoint those veterans who have patiently waited for their opportunity to receive this honor and looks forward to the day when flights can resume and the experience of a lifetime can once again be offered safely.