U.S. Airplane, Train, and Transit Mask Mandates Extended to April 18

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Mask mandates for airplanes, trains, and transit hubs that were set to expire next week will be extended to April 18, the Biden administration is expected to announce Thursday.

Between now and mid-April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will work with other federal agencies "to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor," an administration official told Reuters news agency.

Airlines and some government officials suspect this could be the last nationwide extension of the Transportation Security Administration mask mandates. The extension comes at the recommendation of the CDC. Airlines and travel groups had called on the administration to take action by March 18 to "repeal the federal mask mandate for public transportation or provide a clear road map to remove the mask mandate within 90 days," Reuters reported.

The current CDC order requires masks to be worn on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares and at airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations, and seaports, Reuters said. Last month, the CDC eased its guidance for face coverings. Mask requirements in federal buildings in and around the nation's capital, and other places with low or medium levels of COVID-19, have been dropped.

Reuters Article