ST. LOUIS — More than half of Americans are still planning to travel for Thanksgiving despite the pandemic, according to TripAdvisor.
Many are going by air.
"We’re expecting between 20,000 to 22,000 a day in both terminals," St. Louis Lambert International Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said.
She says more hands are on deck.
"We have extra man power for additional cleaning for elevators buttons or escalators, things that have high touch," she explained.
In order to be extra safe, the TSA is allowing one oversized liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags.
Passengers can also bring hand wipes through checkpoints.
Make sure to pack masks as well.
"We do have a mask mandate inside the terminal," Hamm-Niebruegge said.
Some international flights longer than four hours, may require passengers to change masks several times. Packing a few extra masks can be helpful.
Airlines are also trying to prevent the spread.
"They have an air filter system that brings fresh air in from the outside every two to three minutes, so as air is being recirculated, it’s clean air. It’s fresh air being recirculated inside the airplane," Hamm-Niebruegge explained.
Some have even eliminated the middle seat.
Dr. Farrin Manian, an infectious disease doctor at Mercy said having the middle seat gone is better for social distancing.
Even with that though, you can still be at risk.
"You are still sitting in front of someone or behind someone, " he said.
Dr. Manian's best advice on traveling is to not do so.
But if you decide to go, he said make sure to minimize the amount of stops you make at the airport.
Beyond that, minimize the amount of people you interact with and the duration of it.
"If you can do that in your travel time and get to your destination, I think you can reduce your risk of getting it," Dr. Manian said.
Once getting off your flight, it is recommended to try to touch your luggage only to reduce the risk.
Airport officials say before flying, you should review your airline's specific COVID-19 policies. For those traveling internationally, check to see if there are any quarantine rules in place.
The FAA has created a site that walks passengers through every step of the process from boarding the aircraft to returning home.
To check it out, click here.
