Airlines report on holiday travel

More than 2 million people went through screening at U.S. airports on Friday and Saturday, the Transportation Security Administration said. That’s far lower than in previous years, but it’s a large number during the pandemic and only the second time since mid-March that more than 1 million people went through daily airport screenings.

Is that safe? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last week that people stay home and celebrate Thanksgiving with their immediate households as COVID-19 cases climb across the country. Airlines said they were sanitizing gates and kiosks, taking steps to shorten lines, and increasing ventilation. A few states have recorded new daily highs of infection rates or hospitalizations, and a few have announced new restrictions.

Dig deeper: Read John Dawson’s report in Beginnings about why the coronavirus death rate has dropped since the spring.