TSA Reports Lowest Air Travel Numbers Since May

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported its lowest air travel numbers of the summer on Tuesday. In early August the agency reported its highest numbers post-pandemic.

On Tuesday, 1,468,219 people went through TSA checkpoints, the agency reported. It’s a large decrease from the 2,238,462 reported on August 1. When comparing the two days with pre pandemic levels, Tuesday was at 73% and August was at 83% of the numbers reported in 2019 on the same week day. Tuesday’s numbers are the lowest since May 18.

The new Delta variant is likely to blame for the lower numbers in recent days. Some cities have brought back restrictions and some officials are urging travelers to reconsider their plans, such as Hawaii’s governor. The European Union is also reconsidering allowing Americans in over surging Covid-19 cases.

A survey at Cars.com found that more than 20% of Americans have canceled their flights and are driving instead due to rising concerns. “The majority of travelers (62%) state they are concerned about the delta variant while traveling, with nearly 1 in 4 (24%) stating they have changed their destination due to an uptick of COVID-19 cases in a particular area,” the survey found. “For those who changed their travel location, most were planning to travel to Florida.”

More than 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 for the first time in over eight months. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that 101,050 hospital beds are occupied by people receiving treatment for the virus. This is a 147% increase from the 40,791 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 just four weeks ago. The last time more people were hospitalized, was back in early January.