Cheryl Evenson, an employee at Dancing Rivers Marketplace in the Redmond Airport, is used to seeing planeloads of people storm through her shop before a flight to pick up souvenirs, books and snacks.

All that changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Since the deadly virus arrived in the U.S., passenger numbers have plummeted, customers are few and some wear protective gloves and masks while passing through the airport to board their flights.

“They won’t touch anything,” said Evenson, who has worked at the Dancing Rivers shop for eight months. “They even want to slide the (ATM or credit) card through the machine themselves.”

Redmond is just one of hundreds of airports across the county and the world that has seen passenger numbers grind to a near standstill as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Redmond Airport Director Zachary Bass said around 150 passengers per day currently pass through the airport, compared to 1,500 passengers per day this time a year ago, a decline of 90%.

Evenson said she has seen flights board with just one or two passengers, and on a good day, there will be seven or eight per flight.

“Some are traveling for work, some for family emergencies, last week some tourists went home,” said Evenson.

Prior to COVID-19, passenger traffic was up 25% compared to a year ago, said Bass in an email.

Under normal circumstances, Redmond has more than 30 daily flights, serving 10 nonstop destinations, said Bass. He anticipates the number of flights in April and May will be down by at least 40%.

Alaska Airlines, which operates a number of flights out of Redmond to Portland, Seattle and destinations in California, said Wednesday that demand for flights has dropped by 80% since the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S.

Alaska said it plans to slash flights by 70% in April and May. The Seattle-based company said flights for June and beyond will be based on demand but added that it expects reductions to be “substantial” over the next several months.

Numerous states, including Oregon, have ordered their residents to stay at home to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“Individuals are directed to minimize all nonessential travel to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Charles Boyle, press secretary for the office of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.

Central Oregonians currently overseas have also struggled to return home due to widespread travel restrictions and flight cancellations in other countries.

Travelers returning from high-risk countries are being routed through specific airports for screening, including San Francisco and Seattle, before being permitted to travel to domestic connections.

The flight cancellations have devastated the airline industry, with shares of United, Delta and American cut in half since January, when the pandemic first emerged in China.

The flying experience has changed, too.

With so few passengers on the planes, social distancing isn’t difficult, and crew members ask passengers to spread out around the cabin.

Walking through the airport, passengers will notice hand sanitizer stations throughout the terminal in Redmond. Signs advising passengers to maintain social distance from each other have also been placed around the terminal. The airport has taken extra steps to ensure that chairs and railings are frequently cleaned, said Evenson. “They are cleaning very well,” said Evenson. “They are always cleaning and spraying.”

While it may be tidy, opportunities to eat are now limited, as the restaurant on the second floor has shut down.

Dancing Rivers Marketplace, where Evenson works, closed one of its two outlets inside the airport.

The branch upstairs remains open, although with limited hours. Despite the changes, Evenson said passengers are still upbeat.

“People are still positive and talkative,” said Evenson. “They want to share their stories and talk about where they are going. People are trying to act as they normally do.”