Editors' Pick|Jan 11, 2022,10:03am EST
3,700 TSA Screeners Have Active Covid-19 Infections, A 1,243% Jump Since Thanksgiving
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Forbes Staff
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reporting 3,694 employees with active Covid-19 infections, according to agency data, roughly 7% of the agency’s screeners. For context, the week before the omicron variant was first identified in the United States, there were 275 positive Covid-19 cases among the TSA’s ranks.
Like others who work in public-facing jobs, TSA employees have been testing positive for the coronavirus in record-breaking numbers. The skyrocketing of cases at the agency is an 1,243% increase since Thanksgiving.
Over the past two weeks, TSA officers at 202 U.S. airports have tested positive for Covid-19. The list includes all of the 20 busiest hub airports in the country and comprises 46% of federalized airports.
TSA employees who test positive for Covid-19 may not return to the workplace until at least 10 calendar days have passed since taking the test or experiencing symptoms. To date, the thousands of impacted screeners on leave due to Covid-19 have caused minimal disruption to airport queues across the country, according to the agency.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/01/11/3700-tsa-screeners-have-active-covid-19-infections-a-1243-jump-since-thanksgiving/?sh=6b1f99b4312c
