Thursday, March 25, 2021

Economy Revs Up as Americans Increase Spending on Flights, Lodging, Dining Out; TSA reports 1.5 million travelers in single day for first time since March 2020, and other C-Virus Updates

Photo: eduardo munoz/Reuters 
Economy Revs Up as Americans Increase Spending on Flights, Lodging, Dining Out:
Restaurant and hotel bookings are up. Airplane tickets are selling fast. Consumers spent more on gyms, salons and spas in recent weeks than they have since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The U.S. economic recovery is picking up steam as Americans increase their spending, particularly on in-person services that were battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
The rising number of Covid-19 vaccinations, falling business restrictions, ample household savings and injections of federal stimulus funds into the economy are fueling the surge, economists say.
“I’d rather travel than do almost anything,” said Betsy Cole, 81 years old, who booked a flight to Boston to see family and friends in late spring and hopes to visit the British Virgin Islands for a sailing trip later this year. She also booked two international trips for next year. She looks forward to camping in the Sahara and riding a camel in Morocco, as well as enjoying time on the water in the Greek Isles.
Ms. Cole, of Naples, Fla., said she is finally comfortable with the prospect of traveling again after avoiding crowds, restaurants and trips throughout the pandemic. She said she is more at ease now that she is fully vaccinated and many others are as well. “I want to get going and get traveling again because I’m not sure I’ll be doing quite as much when I’m 90,” she said.
Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal this month raised their average forecast for 2021 economic growth to 5.95%, measured from the fourth quarter of last year to the same period this year, from a 4.87% projection in February’s survey. The higher figure would mark the fastest such pace in nearly four decades. --->READ MORE HERE
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TSA reports 1.5 million travelers in single day for first time since March 2020:
Spring-breakers and holidaymakers are still taking to the skies, even despite the CDC’s continued guidance against non-essential air travel.
On Sunday, March 21, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than 1.5 million travelers in a single day — the highest traveler throughput in over a year.
The following Monday, March 22, also marked the 12th consecutive day that TSA checkpoint volume exceeded over 1 million passengers per day, a milestone also not observed since March 2020.
A representative for the TSA confirmed to Fox News that the uptick, partially fueled by spring break travelers, was something the agency had prepared for in early March by upgrading checkpoint technology to reduce instances of physical contact, or stepping up vaccination efforts for officers, among other measures.
“What we have seen is an increase in travel volume this month in spite of the fact that the CDC does recommends avoiding non-essential travel,” a representative for the agency stated. --->READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to related stories and resources:

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USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates

WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates

YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates

NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest

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