The TSA Screened More Than 2 Million People for the First Time Since the Pandemic Hit
Travel is back!
Travel has been put on the back burner for most people since the pandemic began. Now that things are slowly returning to normal in many places, so too is the travel industry. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released its most recent travel numbers, noting that it recently hit a major milestone for the first time since March 2020.
On Friday, June 11, the TSA saw more than 2 million travelers passing through security checkpoints for the first time since the pandemic began. According to the agency, 2,028,961 people were traveling that day, which is roughly four times the amount of people screened on the same day in 2020. Before the pandemic, the TSA was screening between 2 and 2.5 million people a day on average. Once the pandemic hit, those numbers plummeted to record lows of around 90,000 travelers in April 2020.
As the number of vaccinated people rises, more and more places are opening up to travelers. Hawaii recently announced that it would be getting rid of strict travel restrictions in preparation for the return of summer travelers. Where travelers once had to undergo testing before arrival or do long quarantines, they will soon be able to visit freely if they meet certain requirements.
If cruising is more your thing, you'll be happy to learn that's back too. Celebrity Cruises, Carnival, MSC, and Royal Caribbean will all return to the seas this summer. The cruise lines announced their travel lineups recently and outlined their policies on vaccinations and more. On Royal Caribbean cruises leaving out of Texas and Florida, proof of vaccination won't be required for travel. MSC will also not require proof of vaccination, but unvaccinated passengers will have to agree to "requirements such as additional testing, as well as restrictions," which have yet to be announced. Carnival Cruises will ask that all passengers prove they received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to boarding.
If you've been itching to get back out and travel, now's your chance. You may even find that you kind of missed long lines at the airport or getting stuck behind people who don't understand air travel etiquette. Hey, it's been a while. Not sure where to go? Check out this list of places open to vaccinated travelers.