US extends mask rule for travel while weighing new approach
Federal officials are extending the requirement for masks on planes and public transportation for one more month - through mid-April - while taking steps that could lead to lifting the rule.
The mask mandate was scheduled to expire March 18, but the Transportation Security Administration said on Thursday that it will extend the requirement through April 18.
TSA said the extra month will give the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention time to develop new, more targeted policies that will consider the number of cases of Covid-19 nationally and in local communities, and the risk of new variants.
The TSA enforces the rule, which extends to planes, buses, trains and transit hubs. As of March 3, more than 90 per cent of the US population lived in areas with low or medium Covid-19 case levels, meaning that the CDC no longer recommends face masks in public indoor settings.
