TSA Screened 1 Million Passengers Sunday for First Time Since March, Still 60% Less Than Last Year
For the first time since March 16, the TSA screened more than 1 million people across the United States on Sunday.
According to data provided by the agency, TSA screened 1,035,505 on Sunday. While the number eclipsed 1 million for the first time since March, it was still about 60 percent less than the load of passengers seen last year.
On Oct. 18, 2019, TSA screened more than 2.6 million passengers. TSA hasn’t screened more than 2 million passengers since March 8.
The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the airline industry. According to CBS News, about 45,000 airline employees have been laid off or furloughed.
In Massachusetts, all commercial flights have been halted in and out of Worcester Regional Airport. At Logan International Airport in Boston, the total number of arriving and departing flights were down 61.1% in August, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Overall, Logan Airport has seen a 46.9% drop in airport operations in 2020 compared to 2019 as of August.
Worldwide, coronavirus cases eclipsed 40 million on Monday.
The United States continues to lead the world in the nationwide number of coronavirus cases and deaths at 8.155 million patients and 219,676 fatalities due to the viral respiratory infection.
A vaccine or recommended treatment for COVID-19 currently does not exist. In the U.S., four companies have kicked off large-scale Phase 3 studies for their coronavirus immunization trails.
However, the timeline for the development of a vaccine in the United States remains murky, with some officials in the federal government saying a safe and effective immunization could become available before the end of 2020. Others in the White House have said an early 2021 date is more likely.
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