TSA screens 1 million passengers in one day for first time since mid-March as travel picks up during coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus is still in the air, but so are travelers.
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1 million passengers on Sunday, the first time passing the seven-digit mark since March 17, just five days after Tom Hanks and Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
Between Monday and Sunday, 6.1 million passengers crossed through TSA checkpoints, the highest weekly volume since the pandemic began.
The TSA touted its health protocols in keeping passengers safe, including acrylic barriers and technologies that reduce or eliminate physical contact between passengers and officers.
“TSA has been diligent in our efforts to ensure checkpoints are clean, safe and healthy for frontline workers and airline passengers, implementing new protocols and deploying state-of-the-art technologies that improve security and reduce physical contact,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement Monday.
While the TSA said its numbers are still “well below pre-pandemic levels,” the slow return to normalcy comes as coronavirus rates begin to spike again.
As of Monday, more than 8.1 million Americans have tested positive for coronavirus and almost 220,000 deaths reported so far.
Many airlines are still using their own health protocols, including mask usage and leaving seats open to help with social distancing.
———
©2020 New York Daily News
Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
