biden-administration-extends-mask-mandate-public-transportation-cdc-announces

Biden Administration Extends Mask Mandate on Public Transportation, CDC Announces

The Biden administration extended the mask mandate on public transportation, Wednesday, for 15 more days. The reason? The omicron subvariant is causing a small increase in cases, but nowhere near the spike caused by other COVID-19 strains.

The current mask mandate was supposed to expire next Monday (April 18). But it now will go through at least May 3.

At a Glance

  • The TSA and CDC extended the mask mandate on public transportation for at least 15 more days
  • There was hope Biden would allow the mandate for planes, trains, airports to expire on April 18
  • New Omicron subvariant is responsible for 85 percent of new COVID cases in United States
  • There has been a slight increase in reported cases, but no surge

The Center for Disease Control issued a statement, explaining why it needed to extend the mask mandate.

“Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases in the U.S.,” the CDC said. “In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC Order will remain in place at this time.”

The Transportation Security Administration cited new numbers for the BA.2 subvariant. It makes up more than 85 percent of new COVID cases reported each day. And, the TSA said that the rolling seven-day average of cases started increasing in early April. However, hospitalizations continue to drop.

(Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Biden Administration Did Extend Mask Mandates on Public Transportation. But COVID Numbers Are Dropping

Johns Hopkins reported that the United States now is averaging 38,345 new cases a day. But that rate still is one of the lowest since last summer. For context, when Omicron began wreaking havoc after the Christmas holidays, daily COVID cases hit a high of 900,000. COVID cases also are dropping worldwide. The World Health Organization reported Tuesday that cases dropped by 24 percent for last week. Deaths declined by 18 percent.

Since the data is trending in a positive direction, airlines are pushing for the Biden administration to lift the mask mandate on public transportation. Airlines for America, a group that represents the 10 major domestic carriers, sent a letter to the Biden Administration, Wednesday. The group wants the mask mandates removed. And it wants the Biden administration to stop requiring that travelers on international flights submit to a COVID test.

“Neither restriction is currently supported by data and science in today’s public health environment,” the letter said. “It is very difficult to understand why masks are still required on airplanes, but not needed in crowded bars and restaurants; in packed sports arenas; in schools full of children; or at large indoor political gatherings. Simply put, an extension of the mask mandate does not make sense.”

Airlines instituted mask mandates in 2020. President Joe Biden made the mandates a federal order once he took office in January 2021. The controversial mask mandates were extended last April, August and then in December. In March, the administration extended the mask mandate on public transportation by 30 days. That was the shortest extension until Wednesday’s order for 15 days.