Philadelphia International Airport 'Strongly Believes That It's Safe To Fly' As Uptick In Travelers Anticipated
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Travelers are returning to the skies, albeit slowly. But is it safe?
The TSA check at the Philadelphia International Airport is still quiet. Just a handful of passengers are coming through every few minutes.
But there has been an uptick in travelers here and across the country for the first time in months.
The Philadelphia International Airport is anticipating more than 400,000 passengers to travel through the airport in the month of June.
That's much greater than the number of passengers PHL served in the month of April, which was 120,000. Still, airport officials also anticipate that June passenger numbers will be down approximately 85% compared to June 2019.
"We strongly believe that it's safe to fly but we also really believe in personal responsibility," Philadelphia International Airport spokesperson Florence Brown said.
Stickers placed on the floor remind passengers to "please physically distance."
Airlines, like Frontier, are using touchless thermometers to check passengers' temperatures before boarding. Many travelers are prepared too.
"I have the sanitation wipes and hand sanitizer," one traveler said.
But it's not just what you do at the airport that matters. Exposure to COVID-19 could depend on where you're going.
Since early June, new confirmed cases have been increasing in almost half the country, like in Florida, where one family was traveling to Monday.
"We're gonna be safe while we're down there. We're not leaving my mom's house," the traveler said.
Eva Wattes is also heading to Florida to visit her sister.
"I was there three weeks ago, it wasn't so bad. It was safe, I was OK," Wattes said.
Health experts believe people may become less concerned about contracting COVID-19 because of what they call "pandemic fatigue."
"I'm hearing it from patients all the time. Either they're totally depressed because of this, they're not sure this is headed. I see it in the younger patient population," said Virtua Primary Care Dr. James Sekel.
In fact, in Delaware, health officials are urging teens who visited Rehoboth and other areas for senior week to get tested for the coronavirus after several tested positive for coronavirus.
