GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — TSA does not expect a Monday deadline for federal workers to show proof of vaccination to impact staffing ahead of the busiest travel week of the entire year.
A spokesperson with the agency tells FOX17 that 93% of TSA workers are in compliance with the Biden administration mandate.
“We are not anticipating any disruptions because of the employee vaccine mandate,” said TSA spokesperson Jessica Mayle. “We’ve lost too many TSA employees to COVID-19. Vaccines are the best tool to protect ourselves and our communities.”
98% of @CBP and nearly 93% of @TSA employees are in compliance with the vaccine and exemption requirements. There aren't going to be any disruptions to holiday travel from the vaccination requirement.https://t.co/351GLnvQi8
— Marsha (Catron) Espinosa (@MCatronDHS) November 22, 2021
AAA expects 53.4-million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving, 4.2-million by air.
That number nearly doubles the 2020 figure, when 2.3-million Americans took to the skies for Thanksgiving out of the 47-million that traveled for the holiday.
Travel numbers in 2021 are creeping closer to pre-pandemic levels for the Thanksgiving holiday. In 2019, 56-million Americans traveled for Thanksgiving, 4.6-million by air.
Since the pandemic began, 11,199 TSA employees have tested positive for the virus and 32 employees die from it. 10,924 employees have recovered.
Three TSA employees have tested positive at Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International while 19 TSA employees have tested positive at Gerald R. Ford International.
TSA workers were allowed to apply for medical and religious exemptions.