The Board of Directors of Honor Flight Northeast Indiana (HFNEI) has postponed the April 29 and May 20, 2020 Honor Flights due to the seriousness and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus. The decision to postpone the Spring Honor Flights was based upon recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and a statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Head of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of Vice President Pence’s task force that has been assembled to address the virus.
Dr. Fauci is quoted as saying: “If you are an individual that has an underlying condition, particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition, right now you should start to distance yourself from the risk: crowds, getting on a plane, on a long plane trip, and above all, don’t get on a cruise ship, he said. “That is a health issue.”
Dr. Fauci also cautioned that individuals most at risk to the coronavirus are elderly with pre-existing health issues and should avoid unnecessary travel. Dennis Covert, President of Honor Flight Northeast Indiana, noted that nearly 100% of our veteran passengers are in their 80s and 90s and many have multiple health issues.
According to Covert, the decision was made to avoid possible infection and/or quarantine for the veterans, guardians, and Honor Flight staff. We did not want to place anyone at risk, as safety of our participants is our priority. The Honor Flight Board of Directors is currently working with American Airlines to determine when the two Honor Flights can be re-scheduled. At this time, it is not known when the flights will be re-scheduled.
For more information, visit the Honor Flight Northeast Indiana website: www.hfnei.org .
