Despite Pleas to "Please Stay Home"... US Sees Surge in Travelers Ahead of Christmas

Average Daily Airport Passengers Reach 1 Million Ahead of Christmas
Similar to Pre-Thanksgiving COVID Spread Across US
Various Stories... "Need to See Mom" "Boyfriend After 5 Months"

On the 22nd (local time), travelers are passing through the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport in the United States. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Airport passenger traffic in the United States is surging ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Following Thanksgiving, there are concerns about the spread of COVID-19 during the Christmas holiday period in the U.S.

According to the Associated Press on the 23rd (local time), the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that over 5 million passengers passed through airport security checkpoints nationwide over five days starting from the 18th. This number of travelers is similar to the level just before Thanksgiving on the 26th of last month, when COVID-19 was spreading widely across the U.S. Despite public health experts urging people to "stay home," more than 1 million passengers per day visited airports.

Earlier, during the Thanksgiving holiday on the 1st of this month, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. more than doubled compared to the previous month, reaching approximately 98,000, showing the significant aftereffects of the holiday. With the surge in travelers, it is expected that the Christmas holiday this year will bring aftereffects exceeding those of Thanksgiving.

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University as of this date, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. stands at 18 million, with 322,800 deaths, making it the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths worldwide when counted at the national level.

Travelers cite unavoidable circumstances. Jennifer Brown Lee (34), who plans to travel from Tampa Airport to Oregon, told the AP, "My mother, who lost a leg, needs my help," adding, "God will not let me get sick." Another traveler said, "I am meeting my boyfriend for the first time in five months, so I have no choice," but also expressed concern, saying, "The airport is packed with people, and some are not wearing masks properly, which makes me uneasy."

Currently, the U.S. has not imposed nationwide travel restrictions, leaving decisions to individual state governments. Instead, federal agencies have urged people to refrain from traveling during the Christmas period. On the 15th, the American Automobile Association (AAA) forecasted that approximately 85 million people will travel by car during this holiday period (from this day until January 3rd).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.