DOD, United Airlines say masked passengers 'extremely unlikely' to catch COVID-19
U.S. Department of Defense and United Airlines conduct study and find the risk of exposure to coronavirus on commercial airlines is 'virtually nonexistent'; Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas reports.
Over 100 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported among U.S. Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) since the COVID-19 outbreak began, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has confirmed.
A spokesperson for the TSA told Fox News on Thursday morning that a cumulative total of 101 FAMs have tested positive for the viral disease throughout the pandemic. Among the air marshals, there are currently 14 active cases of COVID-19; all are quarantined and on administrative leave.
A spokesperson for the TSA confirmed on Oct. 29 that a cumulative total of 101 FAMs have tested positive for the viral disease throughout the pandemic. (iStock)
Though it remains unclear exactly where the undercover officers contracted the coronavirus, Yahoo News said "several air marshals" told the site that one FAM, who recently died of COVID-19, believed he contracted the virus on a flight.
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In September, Army veteran, police officer and senior federal air marshal Kenneth Meisel passed away of COVID-19 at age 55. The Minnesota man is remembered with love as a "true American hero badass," the Star Tribune reported last week.
A TSA spokesperson would not disclose the total number of FAMs within the federal agency — Yahoo estimates that there are about 3,000 — but the administration stresses that the TSA is doing everything possible to protect and support employees during this time.
“FAMs and officers in the airport environment face millions of passengers each week and high compliance with TSA safety measures and use of provided personal protective equipment have helped mitigate case counts in areas with high rates of public infections,” TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told Fox News. “Many members of the TSA family are contracting COVID-19 outside of the workplace, so the need to take precautions in their personal time continues to be extremely important to our mission.”
According to the latest numbers, travelers are slowly but surely taking to the high skies once again. (iStock)
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“TSA has taken extraordinary steps during the pandemic, which has impacted over 9 million Americans, to protect our roughly 60,000 employees and the traveling public,” Langston stressed. “All employees are instructed to seek medical attention at the first sign of illness or symptom, and have the full benefit of flexible leave and sick leave policies.
“The TSA essential workforce has continued to perform their security mission in this adapted environment,” he added.
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The latest figures from the TSA also indicate that travelers are slowly but surely taking to the high skies once again. The agency recently reported screening over 1 million daily passengers on Oct. 18 for the first time since March. However, air travel is still down a whopping 65% in October from one year ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.