Air Travel in the U.S. Reached Highest Passenger Screenings in Nearly a Year, TSA Spokesperson Says

People
·2 min read

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Travelers are taking to the skies again.

On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said its agents screened more than 1.3 million passengers at airport security checkpoints across the nation.

TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein shared a statement that the last time the number was that high was almost a year ago.

"@TSA officers screened 1,357,111 people at airport security checkpoints yesterday, Friday, March 12," Farbstein wrote in her statement. "The last time checkpoint throughput was that high was March 15, 2020."

"If you choose to fly, wear that mask!" she added.

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The rise in air travel this month comes as COVID-19 vaccines are on the rise and states roll back on restrictions that were put in place amid the ongoing pandemic.

President Joe Biden delivered a primetime address on Thursday night, marking the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., and outlined several next steps for the country in the coming weeks.

Biden, 78, said the goal is to have life return to a semblance of normalcy by July 4 — though he warned that it is not the time to let up on preventative measures like wearing a mask and social distancing.

"I need every American to do their part," he said. "July 4th with your loved ones is the goal." Biden clarified that while the hope is to have small gatherings back by Independence Day, large gatherings will still be some time off.

Biden concluded by saying the COVID-19 pandemic "a shared experience that binds us together as a nation" — but that "we're also bound together by a hope and possibilities of the days in front of us."

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