Dec 28, 2020 - Economy

TSA screens highest number of travelers since pandemic began

Fadel Allassan

An airport. — Passengers walk through a crowded terminal at Dulles International airport in Virginia on Dec. 27, 2020. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

The Transportation Security Administration screened 1,284,599 people at airport checkpoints around the U.S. on Sunday, according to agency data.

Why it matters: It's the highest number of travelers the TSA has recorded since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March.

It's also the sixth day in the last 10 that more than a million people have flown, suggesting huge numbers of people are traveling for the holidays despite the CDC urging Americans to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The TSA screened 2,575,985 people at checkpoints on the same weekday last year, per agency data.

The big picture: The number of COVID-19 infections confirmed in the U.S. surpassed 19 million on Sunday, per Johns Hopkins. The U.S. death toll stands at over 333,000 — meaning that roughly one in every 1,000 people in the U.S. has died from the virus.

Go deeper ... Fauci: 10 people may be too many for holiday gatherings

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TSA screens highest number of travelers since pandemic began

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