US to extend airplane, transit mask mandate through April 18 – official
FILE PHOTO: Travelers check in at John F. Kennedy International Airport during the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Queens, New York City, U.S., December 26, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, and in transit hubs through April 18 as public health authorities review when mask requirements should be dropped, an administration official told Reuters.
The move, which is expected to be announced later on Thursday, extends the current requirements that were set to expire March 18 by a month. The official told Reuters that over the next month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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 Transportation Security Administration extension comes at the CDC’s recommendation. Airlines and some government officials think this could be the last nationwide extension of the mask requirements.
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