With Father's Day in the books and the Fourth of July on the way, health experts are warning about staying cautious while traveling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Elliott Smith, of the Butler Health System, said there are regional areas known to be hot spots for travelers, especially beaches and other vacation spots. He said people should continue their proper hygiene routines, wear masks and keep in mind that places where they're staying or visiting might not be sanitized to the standards that keep them safe.

“The reason for travel is for each individual person to figure out,” he said. “There are some things they should be thinking about they typically wouldn't on vacation.”

He said recently people have been less inclined to practice good behavior, and some people are not wearing masks.

“There's almost like a reverse peer pressure,” Smith said. “You walk in and see no one wearing a mask, and you think, 'I don't want to be the outlier.'”

Multiple states — including Texas, Florida and South Carolina — are experiencing spikes in new COVID-19 cases, and the state and Butler County have seen steady rates of new case counts.

“We're seeing some people who are positive who picked up the virus while traveling,” Smith said.

According to the state Department of Health's report Monday, the county's new total stands at 238 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 32 cases reported as probable, which includes people who are sick with the virus's symptoms, but have not received their test results.

The county's death toll remained at 13, and the state saw only three new deaths reported Monday to its total of 6,426 deaths. The state added 456 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday.

According to a Butler Health System report Monday, Butler Memorial Hospital staff is now treating two patients who have confirmed cases of COVID-19. BHS had reported Friday that it had one inpatient with a suspected case of the virus.

While hot spots could potentially be breeding grounds for spreading COVID-19, they are also sought- after destinations for people who have been waiting for weeks to leave their homes.

Jim Garrity, a regional spokesman for AAA, said more people are getting comfortable with traveling again. He said this is showing more so in road trips than in air travel.

“We're seeing more folks who are willing to go road tripping as opposed to flying,” he said. “Taking a road trip is more in line with people's comfort level right now.”

Garrity said as more states reopen their economies and more travel destinations offer COVID-19 accommodations, people will become more willing to fly. He said the flight industry is seeing a smaller uptick in plane usage.

Garrity said overall gas purchases have been increasing, which for Pennsylvanians, who pay the second highest gasoline tax in the country, could be a less favorable return to normal.

On Monday, the national average for one gallon of gasoline was $2.13. In Pennsylvania, this average was at $2.36, and in both Butler County and Western Pennsylvania, the average was listed at $2.44.

“Gas prices have been going up steadily, but they're much cheaper than they were this time last year,” Garrity said. “This time last year, gas prices (were) about 50 cents more expensive than where they are this year.”

He said there will likely be ebbs and flows as gasoline prices begin to normalize after a shortage in demand created by COVID-19 restrictions and a battle of oversupply between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

He said now forecasters are watching the demand closely, especially with the Fourth of July coming soon.

“It could be a big summer for road trips, but what happens later remains to be seen,” Garrity said.

The following numbers on the coronavirus pandemic were compiled from the regular news releases from the state Department of Health and Butler Health System.Monday's COVID-19 statistics:Butler CountyConfirmed cases: 238Probable cases: 33Negative tests: 5,264Deaths: 13Butler Memorial hospitalInpatients: 2Suspected: 0Confirmed: 2ICU: 0Total tests: 7,085Outdoor tests: 3,217Positive tests: 248Clarion hospitalInpatients: 0Suspected: 0Confirmed: 0ICU: 0Total tests: 1,384Outdoor tests: 928Positive tests: 38PennsylvaniaNew cases: 456Total cases: 82,186New deaths: 3Total deaths: 6,426Recovered: 78 percentSurrounding CountiesAllegheny: 2,083 confirmed cases; 46,780 negative; and 179 deathsArmstrong: 69 confirmed; 1,766 negative; and 6 deathsBeaver: 606 confirmed; 5,337 negative; and 77 deathsClarion: 31 confirmed; 865 negative; and 2 deathsLawrence: 82 confirmed; 2,196 negative; and 9 deathsMercer: 106 confirmed; 2,812 negative; and 6 deathsVenango: 14 confirmed and 965 negativeWestmoreland: 527 confirmed; 14,500 negative; and 38 deaths.