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TSA employees have contracted COVID-19 at 58 airports in the US despite few travelers

TSA employees have contracted COVID-19 at 58 airports in the US despite few travelers

Thomas Pallini

A security screening checkpoint at Denver International Airport.JIM URQUHART/Reuters

Transportation Security Administration employees are continuing to contract the COVID-19 virus despite record low traffic numbers at the nation's airports.
New York metropolitan area airports have been hit the hardest, with JFK, Newark Liberty International, and LaGuardia in the top three spots for affected employees.
As few as nearly 87,000 travelers have passed through checkpoints in late-March and April as the novel coronavirus has crippled the desire and ability to travel.
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The US Transportation Security Administration has a problem.

According to the agency's website, nearly 475 employees have tested positive for the COVID-19 illness associated with the novel coronavirus as of April 22, with less than 100 recovering so far. High-trafficked airports in major cities have seen the most cases among the federal officers, especially in regions where outbreaks have occurred.

At the same time, however, the TSA is also reporting that passenger numbers are at their lowest points in years as more and more would-be travelers are choosing to stay at home, leaving the nation's airports largely empty. So far, the lowest traffic day, April 14 saw the total numbers of passengers passing through checkpoints drop to 87,534, down around 15,000 from the day prior and over 2,121,000 from the same day in 2019.

Airlines have largely cut their daily flight schedules in response to the virus' decimation of the travel industry but provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act have required airlines that are receiving aid to continue flying certain flights to maintain national connectivity. Non-essential leisure travel, however, has largely ceased thanks to mandatory quarantines and stay at home orders.

Take a look at which airports have been affected most by the deadly virus that has taken the lives of four TSA employees.

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St. Thomas' Cyril E. King Airport

St. Thomas' Cyril E. King Airport. Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 13
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,714,372

John Wayne-Orange County Airport

John Wayne-Orange County Airport. Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 23
Number of total passengers on last work day: 331,431

Salt Lake City International Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 24
Number of total passengers on last work day: 279,018

San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport

San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. refrina / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 25
Number of total passengers on last work day: 239,234

Orlando Sanford International Airport

Orlando Sanford International Airport. Orlando Sanford International Airport

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 6
Number of total passengers on last work day: 108,310

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Philip Rozenski / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 24
Number of total passengers on last work day: 279,018

Providence's Theodore Francis Green State Airport

Providence's Theodore Francis Green State Airport. AP Photo/Stew Milne

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 19
Number of total passengers on last work day: 620,883

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. BCFC/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: Unknown
Number of total passengers on last work day: Unknown

Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport. Kit Leong / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 27
Number of total passengers on last work day: 199,644

Montrose Regional Airport

Montrose Regional Airport. Montrose Regional Airport

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 16
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,257,823

Missoula International Airport

Missoula International Airport. Missoula International Airport

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 24
Number of total passengers on last work day: 279,018

Chicago Midway International Airport

Chicago Midway International Airport. Thomas Barrat/Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 2
Number of total passengers on last work day: 124,021

Jacksonville International Airport

Jacksonville International Airport. Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 27
Number of total passengers on last work day: 199,644

Imperial County Airport

Imperial County Airport. Donald R Slaughter / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 26
Number of total passengers on last work day: 203,858

Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport

Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport. Michael Moloney / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 31
Number of total passengers on last work day: 146,348

Central Nebraska Regional Airport

Central Nebraska Regional Airport. Central Nebraska Regional Airport

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 12
Number of total passengers on last work day: 90,510

Spokane International Airport

Spokane International Airport. shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 1
Number of total passengers on last work day: 136,023

Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Buffalo Niagara International Airport. REUTERS/Gary Wiepert

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 14
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,485,553

Hartford's Bradley International Airport

Hartford's Bradley International Airport. Patrick Raycraft/Tribune News Service/Getty

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 13
Number of total passengers on last work day: 102,184

Walla Walla Regional Airport

Walla Walla Regional Airport. Christopher Joe Brown/Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 1
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 24
Number of total passengers on last work day: 279,018

Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport. Peter Titmuss/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 8
Number of total passengers on last work day: 94,931

Toledo Express Airport

Toledo Express Airport. Rosamar / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 6
Number of total passengers on last work day: 108,310

Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport

Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport. Ja7 / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 9
Number of total passengers on last work day: 104,090

San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 27
Number of total passengers on last work day: 199,644

Everett, Washington's Paine Field

Everett, Washington's Paine Field. Michael Gordon / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 1
Number of total passengers on last work day: 136,023

Norfolk International Airport

Norfolk International Airport. Kate Scott / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 5
Number of total passengers on last work day: 122,029

Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport

Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. chara_stagram / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 19
Number of total passengers on last work day: March 19

Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Sandra Foyt/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 12
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,788,456

Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport

Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport. MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty

Cases as of April 22: 2
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 18
Number of total passengers on last work day: 779,631

San Diego International Airport

San Diego International Airport. DBSOCAL/Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 3
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 2
Number of total passengers on last work day: 124,021

Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport

Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport. Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 3
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 13
Number of total passengers on last work day: 102,184

Jackson Hole Airport

Jackson Hole Airport. Reimar / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 3
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 25
Number of total passengers on last work day: 239,234

Long Island MacArthur Airport

Long Island MacArthur Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Cases as of April 22: 3
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 25
Number of total passengers on last work day: 239,234

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Getty Images

Cases as of April 22: 4
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 31
Number of total passengers on last work day: 146,348

Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport

Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. Karl R. Martin / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 4
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 20
Number of total passengers on last work day: 593,167

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. floridastock/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 4
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 12
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,788,456

Boise Air Terminal

Boise Air Terminal. Boise Air Terminal

Cases as of April 22: 4
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 29
Number of total passengers on last work day: 180,002

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Cases as of April 22: 5
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 11
Number of total passengers on last work day: 1,702,686

Indianapolis International Airport

Indianapolis International Airport. EQRoy / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 5
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 7
Number of total passengers on last work day: 97,130

Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Cases as of April 22: 5
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 16
Number of total passengers on last work day: 95,085

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport. EQRoy/Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 5
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 25
Number of total passengers on last work day: 239,234

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Associated Press/Elaine Thompson

Cases as of April 22: 6
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 16
Number of total passengers on last work day: 95,085

Philadelphia International Airport

Philadelphia International Airport. EQRoy/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 6
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 5
Number of total passengers on last work day: 122,029

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. CaseyMartin/shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 6
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 5
Number of total passengers on last work day: 122,029

Nashville International Airport

Nashville International Airport. Travel_with_me / Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 9
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 24
Number of total passengers on last work day: 279,018

Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport. Adrees Latif/Reuters

Cases as of April 22: 10
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 6
Number of total passengers on last work day: 108,310

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Ryan Ewing

Cases as of April 22: 12
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 4
Number of total passengers on last work day: 118,302

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. AP

Cases as of April 22: 12
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 16
Number of total passengers on last work day: 95,085

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Thomas Barrat/Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 12
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: March 18
Number of total passengers on last work day: 779,631

Orlando International Airport

Orlando International Airport. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

Cases as of April 22: 14
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 5
Number of total passengers on last work day: 122,029

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Nejron Photo/Shutterstock.com

Cases as of April 22: 14
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 1
Number of total passengers on last work day: 136,023

Boston's Logan International Airport

Boston's Logan International Airport. AP

Cases as of April 22: 16
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 12
Number of total passengers on last work day: 90,510

Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport. JW_PNW/Shutterstock

Cases as of April 22: 17
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 8
Number of total passengers on last work day: 94,931

Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport. Shutterstock/Marcio Jose Bastos Silva

Cases as of April 22: 18
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 20
Number of total passengers on last work day: 99,344

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Reuters/Jonathan Bachman

Cases as of April 22: 27
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 13
Number of total passengers on last work day: 102,184

New York's LaGuardia Airport

New York's LaGuardia Airport. Adrees Latif/Reuters

Cases as of April 22: 29
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 18
Number of total passengers on last work day: 97,236

Newark Liberty International Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport. John Moore/Getty

Cases as of April 22: 48
Last work day of an employee with a reported case: April 12
Number of total passengers on last work day: 90,510