TSA on Friday screened 1,580,785 people across U.S. airports, a record high since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: The numbers come a day after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, said that although the agency now says that vaccinated people can travel at low risk, the CDC still does not recommend essential travel, due to the increase in virus cases, reports NPR.
The whole picture: TSA has been reporting more than 1 million daily checked passengers since March 11th.
- Mark Howell, a TSA spokesman, told Axios the increase was due to the spring break.
Yes, but: “It’s too early to say that the journey is back. After all, TSA’s show numbers are still pale compared to the levels of passenger levels before the pandemic,” CBS News writes.
What they say: The agency is preparing for an increase in travel during the summer months, Howell told Axios.
- TSA said in February that it wanted to hire 6,000 new officers by the summer.
- Although the agency expects a potential increase in travel, they do not know if the summer numbers will be before the pandemic.