(KLFY) 85 million people are expected to be in the air or on the roads, traveling to their holiday destination according to AAA.

However, while this number is smaller than last year, it’s still incredibly concerning for health officials.

They say there could be another major spike in COVID-19 cases after the holiday season.

“The risk is just too high. There’s too much Covid in Louisiana. We already have too many cases, too many people in the hospital and too many people dying,” Governor John Bel Edwards said.

Health officials are worried the hospital system may become even more overwhelmed, severely limiting resources. “We are in a very dangerous place in Louisiana- every piece of data we see lets us know it is probably the most dangerous part of the pandemic,” Louisiana Department of Health Dr. Joe Kanter said.

Louisiana previously saw a sharp increase of cases following major holidays like the Fourth of July and Halloween. The state has been on an upward trend since Thanksgiving and has started to plateau, however, there could be another spike after the holidays health officials say.

“We have to do everything we can now to try and minimize the spread and flatten the curve again,” Edwards said.

Despite a COVID-19 vaccine in sight, the governor is also reminding people not to stop doing their part. “I do believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel- and it’s coming to us by way of vaccines and more precisely the way of vaccinations but it really isn’t here yet,” he said. It may be months before most of the general public can receive a vaccine.