by Gabe Kamins Current co-Editor-in-Chief
With millions of Americans getting vaccinated every day, more and more people are flocking to airports to travel to different states and countries. While this is a sign of normalcy, it’s also an important reminder of the safety guidelines that people should abide by every day. Even though people are getting vaccinated and traveling, the pandemic is not over, and airports are doing what they can to ensure that the safety guidelines are followed in the airports.
As one enters an airport, they will be made well aware of the fact that they need to wear masks during their whole stay. Numerous signs and stickers are spread across the airport, as well as intercom announcements made by employees reminding everyone of this policy. Although people will have to take their masks off to eat and drink – most restaurants at airports are still open – the airports are still doing their best to enforce social distancing. However, with crowded airports and flights come close encounters with others. This is why airports are forcing people to wear masks whenever possible. If one refuses to wear a mask, they will beget in serious legal trouble.
Additionally, airports have been equipped with numerous hand sanitizer dispensers to remind people to clean their hands from germs that can be spread at the airport. While these existed before the pandemic, there are even more of them now. It’s important to use them as much as possible throughout one’s visit to the airport. BWI’s website advises all passengers and employees to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer frequently.
Once a person arrives on the plane, they are reminded of the mask mandate and are told that they will be escorted off of the premises if they refuse to wear one, (but what happens if they refuse to wear one while the plane is in flight?). They are still served food and drinks, but hold up a number on their fingers to tell the flight attendant what they want. This is so masks don’t have to be removed in the ordering process.
Although airports have added safety measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the virus is still spreading through airports. According to tsa.gov, there are currently 324 employees with active infections. In total, TSA has had 7,855 federal employees test positive for the virus since the pandemic started, 16 of which have passed away. A Washington Post article from September explained that “nearly 11,000 people have been exposed to the coronavirus on flights.” This number has only increased since then.
Siri Jale, a senior at River Hill High School, recently traveled to Indiana for a college visit. She admitted that she did not feel safe while at the airports “because there were still a lot of people,” many of whom “didn’t put their mask on after eating.” “It looked like Christmas Eve in March,” she explained. Siri’s thoughts are likely shared by many Americans who have to travel in crowded airports.
It can be a surreal feeling to see airports bustling once again. Not too long ago many people were quarantining at home, and now they can travel wherever they want. However, the virus is still alive and well, and will thrive in airports if policies are not followed. But as people continue to get vaccinated and hopefully follow guidelines, the world will continue its return to normalcy.