More folks traveled by means of airports the day earlier than Christmas Eve than at any level in the course of the pandemic
Despite the truth that the CDC warned everybody on November 19 to cancel their vacation journey plans, apparently no person listened as a result of greater than 1,000,000 folks traveled by airplane on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 — the day earlier than Christmas Eve.
Per the TSA, 1,191,123 vacationers handed by means of airport checkpoints nationwide on Wednesday, making it essentially the most traveled day of the yr since March 16. In different phrases, December twenty third marked the very best day for airport journey for the reason that pandemic started. It’s value noting that December has additionally been the worst month for COVID instances, and you’ll assume that folks would keep away from journey when ABC 7 NY experiences that roughly 143 Americans are testing constructive each minute, however okay, America.
BREAKING: @TSA screened 1,191,123 people at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, Wednesday, Dec. 23. It’s the very best checkpoint quantity since March 16, when 1,257,823 folks have been screened. If you select to journey this vacation, please put on a masks.
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) December 24, 2020
TSA Public Affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tweeted that she expects to see comparable numbers the remainder of the weekend as “the day or two afterward are usually busier as people head home after the holiday.”
The day earlier than Thanksgiving, TSA experiences that 1,070,967 folks went by means of airline checkpoints, regardless of protestations from the CDC to remain residence. One might argue that the CDC solely launched the journey warning a number of days earlier than Thanksgiving, not giving vacationers sufficient time to alter their plans, however every week or two after issuing the Thanksgiving journey advisory, the CDC principally reprinted the identical “stay home” warning forward of the winter holidays, and once more, no person listened and continued to journey throughout the nation for Christmas.
“Travel may increase your chance of spreading and getting Covid-19,” the CDC says. “CDC continues to recommend postponing travel and staying home, as this is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.”
More than 1 million folks have handed by means of U.S. airport safety checkpoints in every of the previous two days in an indication that public well being pleas to keep away from vacation journey are being ignored, regardless of an alarming surge in COVID-19 instances. https://t.co/wufNR3dpBJ
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 20, 2020
According to Johns Hopkins University, over 330,00 folks have died from the virus within the U.S. and there have been greater than 18 million COVID instances nationwide. Experts spoke to NPR earlier this month and acknowledged that the rising COVID instances in December can largely be traced again to Thanksgiving gatherings and journey. Dr. Anthony Fauci additionally worries we are going to see “a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in” resulting from all of the Christmas gatherings.
Since Dec 18, greater than 6 million folks have handed by means of airport safety checks within the U.S., in keeping with the TSA, setting a file excessive for air journey for the reason that outbreak of COVID-19 within the U.S. pic.twitter.com/ltcxornJbT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 25, 2020
We understand it’s exhausting not seeing family and friends over the vacations, however to the individuals who did their half and stayed residence, we see you.
Information about COVID-19 is quickly altering, and Scary Mommy is dedicated to offering the newest knowledge in our protection. With information being up to date so ceaselessly, a number of the info on this story could have modified after publication. For this purpose, we’re encouraging readers to make use of on-line assets from native public well being departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to stay as knowledgeable as potential.
