Biden administration aims to extend mask mandate on public transit

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Biden administration plans to keep the mask mandate on public transportation in place until early next year, Reuters reported.
• The move aims to prevent more COVID-19 outbreaks as fall and winter draw near.
• The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation continue to implement mask mandate aboard public transportation.

The Biden administration is aiming to extend the mandate requiring all passengers on public transportation, including trains, buses, passenger vehicles, ships, and commercial airlines, to wear masks through January 2022.

Reuters reports that per three sources, President Biden wants to leave the mask mandate for passengers aboard public transit in place until Jan. 18, 2022. The main reason is due to the risk of a COVID-19 infection caused by the delta variant, which has caused new cases to surge nationwide. 

The news was first given to major airlines in a briefing held by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday.

The CDC issued its mask mandate in 2020 requiring people aboard public transportation to wear face masks at all times. A recent update from June 10 augmented the rule so that people waiting outdoors in exit areas are not required to wear a mask.

Other agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT), supported CDC mask requirements for passengers aboard U.S. public transit. 

FAA officials have documented higher instances of poor passenger behavior and conflict, most of which have to do with enforcing mask mandates.

This report casts further uncertainty on the safety of group travel as cruise and airline sectors aim to start operations after economic hits brought on by the pandemic. Most recently, six COVID-19 infections occurred on a Royal Caribbean cruise liner in July, despite the company requiring proof of vaccinations for eligible passengers and requiring mask usage in all indoor settings aboard the ships.

Source: The Hill