Washington, United States | AFP

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautioned Americans Thursday against traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, as the coronavirus spreads out of control.

"CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period," Henry Walke, a CDC doctor in charge of the day to day management of CDC's pandemic response, told reporters. "It's not a requirement. It's a strong recommendation."

Walke said the CDC was "alarmed" by the recent surge in new daily cases -- up more than 75 percent in 14 days -- and   hospitalizations and deaths (around 50 percent each). 

Thanksgiving is the busiest US holiday in terms of travel. As it falls on a Thursday many Americans take the Friday off work and make a long weekend of it to go see family in other states.

Walke said coronavirus cases rose sharply in the US after long holiday weekends for Memorial Day in May and Labor Day in September.