Holiday travel changes to look out for during pandemic
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)
Health departments in Mid-Missouri and across the nation are recommending stay home for the holidays this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for the Columbia/Boone County health department, Ashton Day, said air travel and going to airports is a risky form of travel right now.
"It's the airport we are worried about. It's a lot of people, there are a lot of people from different areas possibly exposing you, and you can't always socially distance," Day said.
However, if you do plan on traveling, the health department recommends you wear a face mask, wash your hands frequently, social distance and stay with others you are traveling with.
Rhonda Hammniebrubgge, the airport director at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, said the airport has precautions in place including signs, hand sanitizer stations, and intercom announcements reminding people to social distance, wash their hands, and not to fly if they are sick.
"We are seeing an uptick from recent days and recent weeks with holiday traffic, but people shouldn't expect to have long waits or long lines," Hammniebrubgge said.
She added one thing people should remember to bring when traveling this year is patience.
"Be aware of what the rules are regarding masks and social distancing and that you comply with those and be patient," Hammniebrubgge said.
One traveler in St. Louis, Kathy McGowan, said it was simple for her to travel over the holidays.
"It was very easy, I found it better than traveling (before the pandemic) because it's not as crowded. It was wonderful," McGowan said.
McGowen's plane from Baltimore to St. Louis was half-full, with room for social distancing.
"In Baltimore, things inside of the airport were more closed down, but here I noticed things were more open, stores were open people were sitting at bars," she said. "Not every state is like that."
On Sunday, Lambert will see it's heaviest travel day since the pandemic started in March.
"The Sunday after the Christmas holiday is the highest booked day so we expect to see about 24,000 or 25,000 people come through the airport that's both connecting as well as originating and deplaning passengers," Hammniebrubgge said.
This time last year, the airport saw almost twice as many travelers.
Columbia Regional Airport and Kansas City International Airport also have COVID-19 precautions in place for employees and passengers.
According to the MCI website, masks are required for both travelers and staff, including rental car staff, concession workers, TSA agents, airline employees and custodial staff.
Rules and restrictions will be different depending on the airline you are using, but every carrier is requiring a mask.
