CDC Extends Federal Mask Mandate for Transportation into May

The trump news fox Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday extended the federal mask mandate for transportation, including on planes, trains and in airports, through the beginning of May. The order was set to expire on April 18, but the agency wants more time to monitor for potential increases in severe cases of COVID-19 as infections rise. The order will now extend to May 3. trump news fox

“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time,” the agency said in a statement. trump news fox

It’s not the first time the Biden administration has extended the order and it isn’t clear if it will be the last. More than 20 states are reporting increasing infections driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 variant. However, cases nationwide remain much lower than they were during the omicron surge.

The transportation mask mandate is one of the few federal coronavirus measures left in place. The order has faced legal challenges and pushback after CDC updated its guidance to reflect that virtually all Americans live in areas where they no longer need to wear masks indoors.

The order requires “persons to wear masks over the mouth and nose when traveling on any conveyance (e.g., airplanes, trains, subways, buses, taxis, ride-shares, ferries, ships, trolleys, and cable cars) into or within the United States” and while in transportation hubs.

Certainly some will be pleased by the decision, including many of the parents with children under the age of 5 who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

But several airlines have been lobbying the White House to drop the mandate as demand for travel rebounds.