COVID-19 cases, protocols lead to staffing shortages at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
ATLANTA - Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is experiencing a shortage of security screeners who are available to work on a daily basis.
According to airport officials, approximately 100 screeners are unavailable on an average day. The numbers have increased since the holiday season concluded.
However, officials say those figures are not all COVID-19 positive cases. Instead, some absences are directly attributed to strict protocols and the close proximity work environment.
When one worker reports a positive omicron test, managers must send home the other four employees who were in close contact during the entirety of their shifts.
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"We do this out of an abundance of caution," said Mark Howell, an airport spokesperson.
He said because passenger volume is currently low right, managers are making everything work with minimal impact on passengers.
Howell said the situation is expected to ease in the coming days with fewer illness reports coming in.
An additional twenty staffers have recently been hired to assist.
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