WASHINGTON — TSA reports another 875,000 people passed through airport checkpoints on New Year’s Eve, as people continue to return home from holiday travel.
Both Maryland and D.C. are requiring returning residents to quarantine until they test negative for COVID 19.
In Virginia, it is merely a recommendation.
In Maryland under emergency orders from Governor Larry Hogan, anyone who travels into the state must either obtain a negative COVID-19 test result or quarantine for 10 days.
In D.C. it’s a mandatory 14-day quarantine unless you test negative.
Virginia recommends getting a test or completing a 7-day quarantine but unlike Maryland and the District, in the Commonwealth, you can’t be cited with a misdemeanor for failing to comply.
Residents of the DMV region crossing local state lines are exempt.
Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan says he has no illusions about his travel orders.
"We've got some serious travel restrictions but there’s no way to stop the virus from sneaking across," Hogan said.
"Our entire team is focused on what to do when we do have to face that.”
Going into the final weekend of the holiday period, The TSA reported 875 thousand travelers on new year’s eve.
More than a million travelers passing through the system 9 out of the last 14 days, the highest sustained volumes since the beginning of the pandemic.
TSA agents are among those getting sick. The agency’s website reports 759 agents Nationwide with active COVID-19 cases currently.
Nearly 5,000 agents have been infected since the pandemic began and 12 who have died, including one this week in New Orleans, according to the agency.