Biden Administration Set To Extend Travel Mask Mandate For Another Month
(CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration is set to extend the federal public transportation mask mandate for another 30 days, an administration official confirms to CNN, pointing to guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The mandate is one of the last remaining broad requirements that Americans wear masks in public places. It applies to mass transportation including planes, trains, buses and hubs like airports.
The requirement, which now extends to April 18, was previously set to expire a week from Friday, and the policy will be reviewed over the next month, the official said.
"During that time, CDC will work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor," the official said. "This revised framework will be based on the Covid-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science. We will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change."
Federal officials have notified stakeholders in the airline industry of the upcoming announcement, said two industry officials and a government official who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because the policy had not yet been publicly announced.
One source said the CDC may ultimately allow the mandate to lift before the 30-day period is up if transmission rates of the virus nationwide drop to low enough levels.
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