Miami International Airport Expects 98,000 Passengers To Pass Through On Easter Sunday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As the coronavirus continues to linger, the rush is on at Miami International Airport, where holiday travelers are racing to get back home.
"It's a mad house," said traveler Chris Sacarellos.
The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 1.5 million people at airports on Friday – a record for air travel throughout the pandemic.
Sacarellos was one of those people who took a flight on Friday.
Now, on Easter Sunday, he's headed back home to Pennsylvania. He said it was his first time traveling since the start of the pandemic.
"It felt great. We needed to get out," he said.
A spokesperson from MIA said they expect more than 98,000 passengers to travel by the end of the day.
"It is pretty busy," said traveler Mark Bare.
As health experts remain concerned, many people at MIA are traveling with COVID on their minds, wearing masks and others with face shields
"I feel safe. We just traveled to Brazil and I felt very comfortable the whole time," said Bare.
For those travelling within the United States, COVID-19 testing or post-travel self-quarantine is not required.
But due to the large number of Americans who remain unvaccinated, the CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people continue to take COVID-19 precautions.
For those traveling internationally, the CDC says fully vaccinated individuals should still have a negative COVID-19 test result before they board a flight to the US. The CDC adds that travelers should get a COVID-19 test three to five days after returning from international travel.
Bare said he did just that.
"To leave as well as come back," he said. "So we all tested negative here."