No Transportation Security Administration screeners at Chattanooga Airport have tested positive for the coronavirus, but key connecting hubs in Atlanta and Chicago posted sizable numbers, figures show.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has had 37 TSA employees and screening contractors test positive for the virus. Such persons may have had direct interaction with the public, according to newly released data from the federal agency.
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport had 43 TSA employees who tested positive, while Detroit's Metro Wayne County Airport had 11, the figures show.
Also, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, another often-used hub for Chattanooga air travelers, reported eight positive cases.
Overall, the TSA has had 1,033 federal employees test positive for the coronavirus and six have died, the agency said. In addition, one screening contractor has died, it said.
The TSA data also reports the last work date of the most recent screening officer's confirmed case. For example, the most recent work date for a TSA employee at the Atlanta airport was Saturday, July 4.
"Passengers who believe they may have come in contact with an infected individual within the past 14 days should follow the CDC's recommendations for travel-associated exposure," the agency said.
In Chattanooga, the airport implemented a lot of cleaning procedures and disinfecting around the terminal after the coronavirus outbreak, said Terry Hart, Lovell Field's chief executive.
"We'll continue to move forward in those aspects," he said recently.
Many travelers stayed away from air travel after the outbreak hit in March. Passenger boardings in Chattanooga were down nearly 95% in April from a year ago, according to the airport.
Daily departures by the airlines plunged from 28 to as few as five on some days. But traffic has started to rebuild, airport figures show.
Nationally, TSA reported that of the 1,033 employees who tested positive for the coronavirus, 663 have recovered.
The federal agency has put into place safety steps such as requiring officers to wear face coverings and gloves, changing gloves between pat-downs, and increased cleanings and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces and security screening equipment.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.