WASHINGTON, March 10 (BNA) Federal officials extend requirements for masks on planes and public transportation for another month – until mid-April – while taking steps that could lead to the rule being lifted.
The mask was due to expire on March 18, but the Transportation Security Administration said Thursday it would extend the requirement until April 18, the Associated Press reported.
The TSA said the additional month will give the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention time to develop new, more targeted policies that will take into account the number of COVID-19 cases nationally and in local communities, and the risk of new variables.
The TSA enforces the mask rule, which extends to planes, buses, trains and transit hubs.
As of March 3, more than 90% of the US population lived in areas with low or moderate levels of COVID-19, which means the CDC no longer recommends face masks in public indoor spaces.
The decision to eventually repeal the mask requirement — one of the last remnants of nationwide pandemic rules — likely grew in recent weeks as more states, even those led by Democratic governors, relaxed their mandates to wear masks indoors, and the CDC softened its recommendations.
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