Air travelers cautious as more than 1M fly before Thanksgiving
MILWAUKEE - Depending on the time of day, crowds are still moving through the airport. It's been relatively quiet for what's usually the busiest travel holiday, but there still seems to be an uptick in travel despite a deadly pandemic.
During a time where health officials ask us to limit gatherings...
"We are headed home for Thanksgiving and hang out with our family and it’s going to be really fun," Matthew Johnson said. He and his girlfriend Adriana Hunt are students at Notre Dame who are traveling over the break.
Adriana Hunt and Matthew Johnson
Travelers defy warnings...
"Thanksgiving, I'm going to the Keys," Rae Olson said.
Preparing for the close quarters of a plane...
"I bought a lot of hand sanitizer," she said.
As the country is dealing with record COVID-19 cases.
Rae Olson
"I feel like this is the world we live in and you just live around it, you follow the rules," Olson said.
As airport staff tends to travelers headed to destinations for many causes their one goal — to help keep everyone safe.
"We have our cleaning crews who are out sanitizing everything they are paying special attention to those high touch areas," Stephanie Staudinger, marketing and public relations coordinator of General Mitchell International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) increased its staff and allowances.
Security at Mitchell International
"We are staffing airport checkpoints with additional personnel to ensure there is social distancing and we are allowing up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer per passenger which is a difference of the normal 3.11 liquid requirements," TSA Spokesperson Sonny Lorrius said.
For this couple on a journey...
"The airport is generally pretty safe so we feel pretty comfortable," Hunt said.
Recently recovering from COVID-19, they say they've learned to take extra precautions, and plan on spending their winter break headed to multiple locations.
"Everywhere we go we will quarantine for the 14 days and get tests, if we can," Hunt said.
Folks here just adding to the numbers as a TSA spokesperson says they've seen more than a million travelers this last weekend in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Just a reminder, follow the CDC guidelines and try to take advantage of the touchless options you can, like checking, parking and paying for retail. remember to give 6 feet of space and always wear a mask.
