US airport traffic rising despite holiday travel warnings

[EarthFirst]

Source: Associated Press

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — More than 1 million people have passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints in each of the past two days in a sign that public health pleas to avoid holiday travel are being ignored, despite an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases.

It marks the first time U.S. airports have screened more than 1 million passengers since Nov. 29. That came at the end of a Thanksgiving weekend that saw far more travel around the country than had been hoped as the weather turned colder and COVID-19 cases were already spiking again.

If that early trend continues, U.S. public health officials fear it will lead to more superspreader events as people unwittingly transmit the virus to family and friends while gathering indoors for holiday celebrations. Health officials note the upcoming holiday period from Christmas to New Year’s Day covers a longer timespan than the Thanksgiving break.

Even more travel is expected as Christmas draws closer. AAA projects about 85 million people will travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, most of them by car. That would be a drop of nearly one-third from a year ago, but still a massive movement of people in the middle of a pandemic.


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/travel-public-health-health-airport-security-thanksgiving-dcac8b444c64360e1f8c283257487e98

[PSPS]

1. Airports are today's "attractive nuisance"

[dhill926]

2. crazy....

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Which just means that the rest of us will have to hunker down that much longer before

we can return to any semblance of normal living while these idiot continue to spread Covid19 from border to border and coast to coast.

Selfish, uncaring pricks.

[dweller]

4. How much $$$

Is allocated for the airlines in the new relief bill ?
🤔

✌🏻

[Blues Heron]

5. What "pleas"

What's a plea anyway, there's rules, laws and that's it. Pleas are for losers. Put some teeth in it or STFU.

[DanieRains]

6. Its OK They Are All Flying To Places With ICU Beds Available

I would imagine.

[yaesu]

7. after over 320,000 deaths you would think the virus would get a little respect,

its the Rodney Dangerfield of viruses.

[Warpy]

8. Tis the season to be bullied beyond common sense by Mom and Grandma

plus there are a lot of people out there who are ignorant beyond oll contact with inconvenient and unpleasant truth.

Late January is going to be ugly. After that, I think things will very slowly start to get better.

[a la izquierda]

14. My parents commanded me to stay in England.

I'm 43 years old. I wasn't traveling anyway because I knew it wasn't safe. But just in case I had any crazy ideas, they warned me back in mid-November not to get on a plane back to the US.

Now, obviously, I can't really go anywhere because everywhere is banning flights from the UK.

[Warpy]

15. Congratulations for picking such sensible parents

I wish good sense were as contagious as this virus is.

[chowder66]

9. Caravans of Super Spreaders.....great. nt

[Javaman]

10. We're seeing the current uptick from thanksgiving

Wait till the explosion two weeks after the new year.

[Nitram]

12. The majority of that would be from large gatherings in homes rather than air travel.

[Javaman]

13. those people travel by air to large or family gatherings. then get back on those planes

and spread it back from whence they came.

[Nitram]

16. Do you have statistics that suggest "most" people who are traveling by air over the holidays are

going to "large" gatherings without social distancing and mask wearing? A lot of people I know only travel by air on business or to visit a spouse or girlfriend.

[Javaman]

17. Please show me where I said "most"

I simply stated what is true.

In a modern society virus travel faster due to air travel.

The CDC and virologists have been saying is for years. This is not something subject to debate. Unless of course you don’t believe the CDC or virologists.

[Nitram]

18. The OP says. "More than 1 million people have passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints in

each of the past two days in a sign that public health pleas to avoid holiday travel are being ignored." If you are not referring to those one million people when you write "those people," then who are you referring to?

[Javaman]

19. oh for cripes sakes.

just read my post for what it says. stop inferring, it's very uninformed and unattractive of you.

and you completely ignored what I referenced regarding the CDC and virologists.

We are done.

Ta!

[Nitram]

20. Sorry I appeared unattractive. I got into trouble with you because I asked you who "those

people" were. I still don't know, but I guess you enjoyed putting me down. Apparently the fact that you didn't get my point never bothered you. I suggested air travel doesn't cause the virus to spread, large gatherings do. They could just as easily spread it at the grocery store, on a bus, or at work.

[Nitram]

11. I'm not surprised, and I'm no blaming anyone who wants to join family for perhaps the first time

this year. The cabin air system is designed to operate most efficiently by delivering approximately 50 percent outside air and 50 percent filtered, recirculated air. This normally provides between 15 to 20 cubic feet of total air supply per minute per person in economy class. All large commercial jet aircraft provide approximately 20 air exchanges per hour during cruising. If you are wearing a mask, that probably makes the aircrafft cabin safer than an outdoor restaurant.

[sarcasmo]

21. A Me Rica