Nearly 1 million people traveled through U.S. airports on Friday, kicking off the Labor Day holiday weekend and setting a new pandemic-era high.
During the same time one year ago, the Transportation Security Administration reported it screened nearly 2.2 million people.
This comes as health experts continue to warn of a coronavirus spike due to large gatherings and celebrations during Labor Day. Thousands are expected to hit beaches from coast to coast.
In Atlanta, many weekend Labor Day parties took place, including “The Biggest Labor Day Weekend Party in the City” hosted by rapper Gucci Mane.
And in San Francisco, an event celebrating Burning Man culture had more than 1,000 people gathered at Ocean Beach, Mayor London Breed said.
Health experts say behavior by Americans during Labor Day weekend will determine how the country moves forward into the upcoming flu season.
“Particularly as we go on the other side of Labor Day and enter into the fall … we don’t want to go into that with another surge that we have to turn around again,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Health experts nationwide are bracing for a second wave of coronavirus infections in the fall. However, many of them believe the increase in infections may not equal a spike in deaths. [READ MORE]
This may be because as time has passed, the virus has become, in effect, a slightly less deadly illness, than it was earlier in the pandemic. Doctors have learned much about the disease over the past few months and have had more success treating patients, experts say. Also, older, more vulnerable adults are staying home, as the virus is now infecting younger people, who are less likely to succumb to illness.
Trump is calling on Congress to approve a new round of $1,200 stimulus checks for citizens by reallocating $300 billion in unused coronavirus relief funds.
The first $1,200 cash payments cost about $300 billion, according to an estimate from the Economic Policy Institute. Congress, which remains at a stalemate over the latest coronavirus
relief package, will have to approve the new round of stimulus relief.
As school administrators nationwide continue to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks on college campuses, New York University becomes the latest school to suspend students for breaking pandemic policies. More than 20 students have been suspended for attending parties without wearing masks or physical distancing. NYU students were required to take a Covid-19 test prior to moving into their dorms and quarantine for 14 days before in-person courses began.
Last week, 11 study abroad students at Boston’s Northeastern University were dismissed for violating similar coronavirus rules.
