A new study from Numerator, a consumer insights group, suggests that unvaccinated Americans are more likely to attend July 4th mass gatherings than those who have taken the shot.

The survey polled 2,000 Americans and found that 64 per cent of unvaccinated Americans plan to “celebrate normally” - which includes attending mass gathering events like fireworks shows - and host family events.

People from areas where there are more unvaccinated people - like the US south and the Midwest - were more likely to say they planned on celebrating.

Only 49 per cent of vaccinated Americans said they planned to celebrate “normally.”

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have advised unvaccinated people to avoid large crowds and practice social distancing if they do attend events.

Travelers hoping to spend Independence Day sunning on a Hawaiian beach may be disappointed to learn that the state is unlikely to lift its coronavirus travel restrictions for out-of-state visitors.

Last week, Hawaii’s Governor David Ige said the state would not likely lift its requirement for travelers from the mainland to quarantine for 10-days unless they test negative for Covid-19 72 hours prior to their arrival.

Travelers who can prove they were vaccinated in Hawaii can skip the testing requirement and travel freely to the island.

However, travel restrictions will remain in tact even for people who can prove they’ve been vaccinated in another state. That requirement will remain in effect until 60 per cent of Hawaii’s population is vaccinated.

Southwest Airlines is asking its employees to work extra shifts in order to prevent flight delays and cancellations over the busy 4th of July travel weekend.

The company’s executive vice president of daily operations, Alan Kasher, made the plea in a staff note posted on Monday titled “We Need Your Help This Holiday Travel Week.”

“We have heard from many of you who are frustrated with our network reliability and irregular operations created by summer storms across many parts of the country,” Mr Kasher said.

The airline has already cancelled more than 1,000 flights, which it attributed to weather issues.

The company is offering increased overtime pay for anyone willing to work extra hours.

“To address the situation for the short term, we will be incentivizing our Ops Employees during this busy holiday travel week by increasing overtime pay from July 1 through July 7,” he wrote.

Forecasts suggest certain parts of the country will face weather conditions making it too hot, too wet or too dry to celebrate the July 4th holiday outside comfortably.

Heavy rainfall is expected across the US south and Eastern seaboard over the weekend, particularly in Texas and along the Gulf.

The US West will continue to face hot, dry conditions exacerbated by the ongoing megadrought, and while the Pacific Northwest will finally see some relief from the triple-digit heat plaguing the region over the last several days, highs are still expected to be in the high 80’s and low 90’s (~32C) throughout the weekend.

The interiors of Washington and Oregon will continue to see triple digit temperatures, however.

The Midwest will likely be spared from any especially inclement weather or temperatures.

Anheuser-Busch will be giving away beer to adults 21 and older between Friday and Monday who upload a photo of themselves to MyCooler.com/beer enjoying a brew at their favorite bar. Originally the brewer was going to give the beer away as part of Joe Biden’s initiative to have 70 per cent of the country vaccinated by the 4th of July. The country regrettably fell short of that goal, but the beer company decided to honor the agreement anyway.

Participating adults will get a $5 digital gift card, the average cost of an Anheuser-Busch product, to use over the 4th of July weekend.

Logistics and supply issues are making it difficult for venues to obtain fireworks ahead of the 4th of July holiday.

The CEO of Atlas PyroVision Entertainment Group told Yahoo Finance that anyone hoping to get their hands on fireworks for the holiday should buy them early.

According to CEO Stephen Pelkey that consumer demand for fireworks exploded in 2020, which has caused a supply shortage.

Shipping delays, increased shipping costs of 250 per cent or more, and the closure of fireworks factories in China have exacerbated the supply shortage.

Travelers hoping to avoid traffic may want to check out the latest from The Independent’s Clara Hill, who delves into the best and worst times for travel over the 4th of July weekend.

Read more below...

US airlines are struggling to keep up with the travel demand presented by the July 4th holiday as Americans return to the skies.

Southwest has canceled or delayed more than 1,000 flights and American Airlines has cancelled or delayed 350 flights heading into the July 4th weekend.

Though Southwest blamed weather for many of the interruptions, other factors - like fuel and staffing shortages - are also contributing to the delays and cancellations.

Gas stations in several states are reporting fuel shortages ahead of what is expected to be the busiest travel period since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shortages have been reported in Colorado, the Florida Keys, Washington, Oregon, central Iowa and parts of south central Ohio.

The shortages are believed to be caused by the ongoing shortage of drivers for tanker trucks that deliver fuel.

Some gas stations have reported outages lasting between 12 and 48 hours.

INRIX analytics has released a list of times it predicts will be the worst for travelers hoping to avoid massive traffic over the 4th of July weekend.

On Thursday, the worst times to leave will be between 3 and 5pm. The best times to leave will be after 7pm.

On Friday, the worst times to leave will be 4 and 5pm. Leave before noon if you hope to beat the rush.

On Saturday, the worst times to leave will be between 11am and 1pm, while the best times to depart will be after 2pm.

On Sunday, INRIX does not anticipate especially congested roads.

On Monday, the worst time to head home is between 4 and 5pm, with the best time to leave being before 1pm.