U.S. airports have reached the highest number of passengers since the start of the pandemic

American airports connected Friday and Monday, during the first long weekend of the sunny season, its highest number of passengers since March 2020, according to data released by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Some 1.96 million passengers traveled from US airports on Friday and 1.90 million on Monday.

here at least five times more than the same Memorial Day weekend last year. But it’s still a 24% less than in the same period of 2019.

Driven by the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and the drop in the number of contaminations across the country, Air traffic is gradually picking up in the United States, with the number of daily passengers at airports surpassing one million since mid-March.

At its lowest level, On April 13, 2020, only 87,534 people flew into the country.

One of the reasons for the increase in the use of air transport is that for this long weekend, considered to be the start of the summer In the United States, the AAA automobile association had warned that fuel prices at service stations are said to be the highest since 2014.

On Tuesday, the average price of gasoline was $ 3.04 a gallon (3.79 liters) nationwide, up from $ 1.99 last year at this time.

The general manager of the hotel group Hilton, Christopher Nassetta, said in an interview on the CNBC that there was 93% hotel occupancy on Saturday night in the United States, “Which is without a doubt the highest rate since the pandemic has occurred.”

“Our reservations for this summer (boreal) at the moment are higher than what we have seen in 2019”, added.

Over the weekend, more cities and states across the country began lifting restrictions imposed by the pandemic, as vaccination rates rise and the number of infections declines.

Massachusetts lifted the mandatory mask measure on Saturday, a day after New Jersey followed suit. In New York and Chicago, authorities reopened public beachesAlthough the winds and low temperatures kept the crowds away.

“Welcome, Chicago”Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a video statement. “The shore of the lake is open.”

Chicago’s Navy Pier has also reopened stores and restaurants, fairground attractions, sightseeing boats and cruises, after the pandemic forced the popular tourist destination to close for months.

It’s a further sign of progress that reflects increasingly positive health data. Saturday, The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 802 new confirmed and probable infections, the second lowest number in a day-long total in the past six months.

For businesses nationwide, a more positive outlook and the long bank holiday weekend provided the opportunity to welcome customers to shop in person.

The Midtown Scholar bookstore in Harrisburg, Pa., Opened to customers on Friday for the first time in nearly 14 months. The use of masks is always compulsory.

To survive the pandemic, the establishment had switched to online ordering, sidewalk sales and virtual events with the perpetrators.

“We had to be creative, we had to take a turn,” said the store manager, Alex brubaker. “Our readers and customers have been amazing. It’s a rainy weekend, but the bookstore is full ”.

Friday, Minnesota has lifted all statewide coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants, although city governments may maintain their own standards for social distancing and the use of masks.

About 50% of the population of the United States has already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccineaccording to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 40% of the population is fully vaccinated.

With information from AFP and AP

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