Air travel surpassed 1 million daily passengers in the U.S. throughout the weekend before Christmas, TSA reported, breaking the record for the most weekend travelers since the pandemic took hold of the country in March.

Though the daily numbers remain less than half the travelers screened last year, according to The Washington Post, the 3.2 million passengers traveling over Friday, Saturday and Sunday outpaced Thanksgiving travel numbers and mark the only time during the pandemic that over 1 million passengers were boarding planes three days in a row. Passenger numbers hovered just below 1 million on Monday and Tuesday.

Health officials have warned Americans to stay home this holiday season and to keep holiday celebrations small. The CDC encouraged virtual gatherings and for families to celebrate with those within their own households to avoid spreading COVID-19.

But numbers show that many aren't deterred by the pandemic. The CDC urged those who do travel to acquire COVID-19 tests before and after, but the tests aren't mandatory.

The holidays approach as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hits 320,000 after a post-Thanksgiving surge in cases. Some public health experts are predicting "catastrophic impacts" with holiday gatherings fueling more infections.

The death toll could reach 450,000 by February, the CDC warned earlier this month.

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