Thanksgiving travel sees TSA screenings hover around 1M as COVID-19 threat looms

Nearly 2.5M people were screened a year ago

Tens of thousands of travelers continue to pass through airports nationwide ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday despite pleas from federal health officials and local governments to stay home.

On Tuesday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 912,090 people at airport checkpoints, up from 611,497 just a week earlier.

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Although it's a sharp drop from the nearly 2.5 million people who were screened on Nov 25, 2019, single-day passenger volume continues to hover around the 1 million mark in the days leading up to the holiday.

On Monday, 917,354 people were screened, slightly down from the 1,047,934 people who were screened at security checkpoints on Sunday.

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Sunday's numbers marked the highest passenger volume since the coronavirus prompted a "steep decline" in travel in early March, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein tweeted. It was also the second time in three days that checkpoint volume surpassed 1 million passengers.

In October, single-day passenger volume notched over a million for the first time since the virus brought the industry to a near standstill in mid-March. At the time, TSA said it was a "noteworthy development." Now, roughly a month later, the numbers draw concern for public officials who have renewed efforts to try and stem the spread of the virus as confirmed cases and deaths spike ahead of the busy holiday season.

In recent weeks, governors and state health departments have issued statements discouraging residents from spending the holiday with people from outside their household which they fear could exacerbate the already dire situation.

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Officials in California issued a list of what not to do for the holidays, including participating in celebrations with multiple households.

In Georgia, officials reiterated that the "safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving" is to stay home due to the fact that travel "increases the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19."

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued a temporary "stay at home" order just days before Thanksgiving, mandating that all residents stay home except for essential errands.

The guidelines mirror strict guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding curtailing holiday gatherings.

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In a telebriefing last Thursday, Dr. Henry Walke, the agency’s COVID-19 incident manager, said that during this "critical phase, the CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period."

The agency reiterated this guidance on its website citing 1 million new cases of coronavirus reported nationwide last week alone.

"The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people you live with," the agency said.

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