abc's zachary kiesch joins us this morning to break down the evolving schedules and protocols in the world of sports. good morning to you, zachary. >> good morning, linsey, and the crew. sports have been a barometer of kind of where we are with infection rates. with covid-19 infection rates spiking, multiple teams in the nfl have decided to postpone a number of games for the first time this season. today's game between the cleveland browns and las vegas raiders has been moved to monday and two games slated for sunday have both been moved to tuesday. the nfl's rising infection rate also affecting coaches. sean peyton from the new orleans saints, the first known covid case in the league last year tested positive again despite being fully vaccinated. the nfl has announced new preventative measures going forward including mask wearing regardless of vaccination status and said in a statement that it will, quote, continue to strongly encourage booster shots for players. and the nba is having its own wave of infections deciding on a new set of safety protocols through the holiday season incr

here's abc's zachary kiesch. >> reporter: tonight there are three dead and two others bearing an unimaginableoss. >> we have three people that are unaccounted for. >> reporter: after a christmas morning fire burned down this quakertown, pennsylvania, home, killing a father and two of his sons. eric king and his sons liam, age 11, and patrick, 8, seen here in a family photo posted on the crowdfunding platform gofundme, died in the blaze. eric's wife kristen and their oldest son, brady, escaped and were treated for injuries at a nearby hospital. >> i couldn't see anybody, so i thought they got everyone out. bt, you know, it was kind of sad -- it was really sad to realize that in the end, not everybody was saved. >> reporter: investigators now suspect that a dried out christmas tree may have been to blame. >> we're looking at the christmas tree that may have ignited as a result of christmas lights on that christmas tree. >> reporter: in a recent study, the u.s. consumer product and safety commission estimated that between 2013 and 2015, there are about 100 christmas tree fires each year, resulti

here's zachary kiesch. >> reporter: tonight, americans are headed home for the holidays. some preparing to see loved ones for the first time since the start of the pandemic. more than 4 million travelers have been screened by tsa just since friday. >> we've been cooped up for a long time and it's winter break. >> reporter: travel platform hopper is expecting more than 2 million people will fly every day during the holiday dash. long lines greet passengers at airports from cleveland to philly. in atlanta, which experts anticipate will be the country's busiest, this was the line for security. >> i get anxiety with crowds so my anxiety is starting to kick in. >> reporter: rising covid infection rates are creating uncertainty. in response, the demand for tests have been overwhelming. >> as we go into the holiday season, testing is really important so that people can gather safely. >> reporter: at l.a.x. covid testing sites like these are a sign of the times. dr. anthony fauci saying today, if you're vaccinated and boosted you should feel comfortable flying and celebrating wit

abc's zachary kiesch joins us with some answers. zachary, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you as well. you know, the ride home from grandma's crib really starts today for so many people. some hundred million people were expected to travel over this holiday weekend, and this is really the first wave headed home. travel platform hopper considers today to be the third busiest travel day of the year. translation, there's going to be traffic out there, and you should expect delays. at the airport, 2.4 million people are traveling, a pace we've really been seeing the last number of days. atlanta's airport is still considered by many to be the busiest. they're not alone. plan accordingly. if you have been driving around new york city the last number of days, it has been a dream, but the roads will start to see some traffic again as well. the best times to roll out are going to be before 12:00 noon, that sweet spot for high traffic is 1:00 to 7:00. again, between 1:00 and 7:00, you're going to see a lot of traffic on the roa

abc's zachary kiesch, he joins us now from new york's laguardia airport with more on that. ary, good morning. >> reporter: gio, good morning to you. as you see behind me, we're already starting to see lines here at laguardia. we anticipate that kind of activity throughout this holiday season. i have had an opportunity to talk to a number of folks over the last couple of days and they're all sharing the same kinds of stories. i haven't been home in a couple of years and i haven't seen my family in a couple of years. so there's that added energy and anticipation, and the typical holiday rush, and there's this uncertainty related to the recent rise in cases. this morning, airports across the country are bracing for the holiday travel rush. 2.2 million americans were screened by the tsa on friday, the most since thanksgiving travel. >> i get anxiety with crowds, so my anxiety is starting to kick in. >> we have been cooped up for a long time, and it's winter break, so we're enjoying our trip, going to cancun. >> reporter: hopper is expecting more than 2 million people will fly ev