How much hand sanitizer can you bring on a plane? The TSA just increased the amount

As coronavirus spreads, passengers can bring more hand sanitizer on board planes.

TSA officials said Friday that it will allow passengers to bring up to 12 ounces of liquid hand sanitizer in a carry-on bag until further notice, TSA Public Affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said on Twitter.

Previously, passengers could not bring more than 3.4 ounces of hand sanitizer on planes.

“Expect these containers larger than the standard of 3.4 oz of liquids will need to be screened separately, which will add some time to checkpoint screening,” Farbstein said.

The larger containers will be screened separately, which could make a checkpoint screening longer, TSA said on its website.

More than 1,600 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed nationally as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As coronavirus continues to spread, hand sanitizer has become hard to find, the Associated Press reported.

McClatchy News previously reported that CVS and Walgreens said that the increased demand for hand sanitizer during the pandemic could lead to a shortage. Some people even started to make their own.

“TSA understands that COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is on the minds of travelers and the general public,” the administration’s website said. “TSA is working with the CDC, as well as state and local health departments to monitor the local situations as well as the health and safety of our employees and the traveling public.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 5:38 PM with the headline "How much hand sanitizer can you bring on a plane? The TSA just increased the amount."