Federal Transportation Mask Mandate Expected To Be Extended Until May 3

The federal transportation mask mandate is going to at least last for a few more weeks to give health officials more time to gather information and understand the severity of the BA.2 variant of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to extend the federal transportation mask mandate for another 15 days, with the next expiration date set for May 3, the Associated Press reported.

The news announcement from the CDC is expected to come as early as Wednesday afternoon.

The news of the mask extension comes as cases of the BA.2 variant see an uptick in the U.S., with average infections at 38,345 per day, according to Johns Hopkins University.

All U.S. states are seeing their COVID case count trend upwards, except in the state of Delaware, but infections are still at their lowest point since mid-July, CNN reported.

A Biden administration official told CNN, “Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases in the U.S.

“In order to assess the potential impact, the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, CDC is recommending that TSA extend the security directive to enforce mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs for 15 days, through May 3, 2022.”

“This will give additional time for the CDC to learn more about BA.2 and make a best-informed decision,” the official added.

The BA.2 variant accounted for 86% of all new COVID-19 cases in the country last week, according to the CDC.

The federal transportation mask mandate requires face masks on all public transportation, including planes, trains, and buses, as well as transportation hubs such as airports and bus terminals.

The mandate was set to expire on April 18.