Participants gather ahead of the 94th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade closed to the spectators due to the spread of COVID-19 [Andrew Kelly/Reuters]The event kicked off on Thursday morning with a series of musical performances and balloons, including a four-storey-tall one of the lead dog from the cartoon series PAW Patrol – all without the usual millions on hand to watch from the street.

Despite advice from the Centers for Disease Control to stay home for the holiday, nearly five million Americans travelled by air from Friday to Tuesday, according to the US Transportation Security Administration, although that is less than half the figure during the same period last year.

While the number of Americans travelling by air during the past several days was down dramatically from the same time last year, many pressed ahead with their holiday plans [Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters]Those who are flying witnessed a distinctly 2020 landscape at the nation’s airports: plexiglass barriers in front of the ID stations, rapid virus testing sites inside terminals, masks in check-in areas and on board planes, and paperwork asking passengers to quarantine on arrival at their destination.

While the number of Americans travelling by air ahead of the holiday was far lower than last year, many pressed ahead with their holiday plans.