Almost 1.3 million passengers passed through U.S. airports Sunday, hitting a record number of people screened by Transportation Security Administration checkpoints since before the U.S. began fighting the pandemic.
According to numbers published by the TSA, 1,284,599 passengers were screened at TSA checkpoints Sunday. It was the sixth day of the Christmas holiday rush that saw over 1 million passengers screened at U.S. airports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has repeatedly warned Americans not to travel for the holiday season and to stay at home. According to health experts, cases are rising still, and hospitalizations are also increasing.
The CDC has asked that travelers get tested for COVID-19 one to three days before taking a trip, and then three to five days after returning from a trip. It is also recommended that travelers reduce any nonessential activities, and abide by other precautions like washing hands regularly, to reduce any spread of the virus. The agency says that travel can increase your risk of contracting and spreading the virus.
On the same day last year the TSA reported that 2, 575,985 passengers traveled through TSA checkpoints at U.S. airports across the country.