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Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport sees rise in travelers last year

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport reported a 76 percent increase in passengers last year.

ATLANTA — Mask-wearing and social distancing are just a few of the habits travelers became accustomed to during the pandemic. Many were enforced by airports and airlines, but medical experts said these are things people should continue doing, particularly as new COVID-19 variants come up. 

"Remember, before COVID? People were still coughing and sneezing on the planes. And so that doesn't go away. Those people are still going to cough and sneeze and talk, and you may say they may not have it, but whatever they have, I don't want it," Dr. Jayne Morgan told 11Alive's Karys Belger. 

Dr. Morgan is the Executive Director of the COVID task force for Piedmont Healthcare. She explained many of the behaviors that have become common will likely remain the norm, even they're not being enforced. 

"I think what's important is that you keep your hands cleaned and sanitize that you practice social distancing in as much as you can and have a high-quality mask with you handy should you want to put it on," Dr. Morgan said.

These precautions are similar to the ones Atlanta traveler Jillian Thomas has practiced frequently, even before the pandemic. 

"I think that before the pandemic, I was a bit of a germophobe myself. I always had my Clorox wipes. I'd wipe down my seat on the plane, the armrest, the nozzle at the top. I do it for myself and my neighbor. And when I got to a hotel, whether that was the doorknobs, the remote, that's just something I always did", she said.

For Thomas, the pandemic only promoted her to add precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing to her routine. 

"I would say it's really heightened my awareness. I definitely still sanitize all of my surfaces," Thomas said. "But just being a little more conscientious when I travel, I'll wear the surgical mask and then the K95 on top of that, doing my part when on the plane."

COVID surges didn't keep her from traveling. The same is true for millions of other people traveling by air. 

New numbers from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport show more than 75 million passengers flew through Atlanta last year. This is a 76 percent increase from the 42.9 million passengers served in 2020. 

With the increase in travelers, Dr. Morgan said it's important to remember the recommended precautions are not just for your own health, but also for the well-being of others. 

"This is not a singular disease. This is a plural disease. So any decision that I make impacts everybody I'm going to come in contact with. So it's not like me deciding whether or not I'm going to take my blood pressure pill or not. That's going to impact me, my decision on how I'm going to manage COVID. Not only will impact me will impact my family. And it will impact any environment that I insert myself in," she said. 


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