More than 1 million people passed through US airports post-Thanksgiving on Sunday — marking the busiest travel day since the pandemic began, officials said.
There were 1,176,091 travelers screened by airport security checkpoints, which saw the highest volume since mid-March, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The figure was still only around 40 percent of the number of passengers who passed through airports on the same date last year, data shows.
Sunday’s air traffic came despite health officials urging Americans to nix their holiday travel plans to prevent spreading COVID-19.
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned that Americans should brace themselves for an “uptick” in coronavirus cases after millions flocked to airports last week for Thanksgiving.
“We have to be careful now because there almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what’s happened with the travel,” Fauci told ABC anchor Martha Raddatz on “This Week.”
“We understand the importance of families getting together and it’s just something that we will have to deal with as we get into the colder weeks of the winter and as we approach the Christmas season.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Deborah Birx urged anyone who traveled to assume they are infected with the virus and get tested.
“We know people may have made mistakes over the Thanksgiving time period,” the White House coronavirus task force coordinator said in an interview with “Face the Nation.”
“If you’re young and you gathered, you need to be tested about five to 10 days later. But you need to assume that you’re infected and not go near your grandparents and aunts and others without a mask.”