The Transportation Security Administration is extending its federal mask mandate for travelers on commercial flights and public transportation into next year.
The agency said Tuesday it will require face coverings until Jan. 18, 2022. Its masking order was scheduled to expire on Sept. 13.
“The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimize the spread of covid-19 on public transportation,” the agency said in a statement, according to Reuters.
TEXAS AND FLORIDA HOSPITALS GEAR UP FOR WORST-CASE SCENARIOS WITH MOBILE MORGUES
TSA’s extension follows a recent update in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 27, which recommended even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in COVID-19 hot spots.
Health authorities cited the high level of infectiousness of the COVID-19 delta variant and pointed to evidence showing vaccinated individuals can catch and spread it.
Sara Nelson, head of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union that represents flight attendants at 17 airlines, praised the extension as a means of keeping passengers and workers safe.
“Masks are the most effective tool to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Nelson said in a statement. “While vaccination has been key to the increased air travel demand, the lagging vaccination rates and rise of the Delta variant has caused cases to skyrocket again — threatening lives, continued virus mutation, and recovery from this pandemic.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The federal mask mandate for travelers was maintained throughout the summer, even after the CDC relaxed its own guidance in May to say vaccinated individuals, in general, did not need to wear face masks.
