Updated December 23, 2020 7:42 a.m. EST By Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief Morrisville, N.C. — Despite the rising number of coronavirus cases and the pleas of public health leaders, many North Carolinians are traveling this week. Early Wednesday morning, two days before Christmas, Raleigh-Durham International Airport was already busy. RDU is anticipating about 104,200 travelers for Christmas week, or about one-third the number who traveled through the airport last year. The busiest travel days are projected to be the two Sundays after Christmas -- Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 -- with more than 18,400 travelers expected each day. On Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolinians not to travel as COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state reach record numbers. When WRAL News asked Cooper if travel restrictions are coming, he said he hopes the restrictions already in place will help avoid that.