NEWS
Federal Mask Mandate Extended
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U.S. travelers will still need to mask up when on planes, trains and buses until the beginning of May.
The federal mask mandate was due to expire on April 18, however, due to rising COVID-19 cases in some areas of the country the mandate has been extended through May 3rd.
BREAKING NEWS: TSA extends face mask requirement through May 3, 2022. TSA will extend the Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs for 15 days through May 3, 2022. https://t.co/rY9W7Xkvcb pic.twitter.com/7cZ2stanEF
— TSA (@TSA) April 13, 2022
“The CDC continues to monitor the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, especially the BA.2 subvariant that now makes up more than 85% of US cases,” the TSA said in a statement reported by the Associated Press. “Since early April 2022, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of Covid-19 cases in the United States. … TSA will continue to coordinate closely with CDC and communicate any changes to this requirement with the public.”
According to CNN, the U.S. is now averaging 38,345 new COVID cases per day and cases are up in more than half of the states. However, the daily rate is still one of the lowest since mid-July.
The federal mask mandate requires individuals to wear a face mask when on mass transportation such as planes, trains, buses, and when inside airports and bus stations.
