TSA extends the mandate as the CDC reviews new approach to travel protocol
THIS week, days before the masks on transportation requirement was set to expire, U.S. officials extended the mandate through to April 18.
The measure affects those who plan to travel airplanes, trains, and buses — masks will also still be required at airports, train stations, and other hubs of public transit.
In a statement released on Tuesday, March 8, the agency responsible for setting safety measures for transportation, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will weigh other approaches to public safety, through a “revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor.”
The transportation mask requirement was set to expire on March 18.
“If you’re moving from one zone to another and picking people up, it’s a little bit different, and that requires some consultation, which is what [CDC officials] are going to endeavor to do between now and April 18,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing on Thursday, March 10.
As of March 3, the U.S. reached the benchmark — 90% of the U.S. population living in low to mid-levels of Covid positivity rates — to which the CDC no longer recommends face masks in public indoor settings.
The relaxed mask guidance from the CDC was justified by the dwindling hospitalizations and many states and jurisdictions easing their own mask mandates.
The mask requirement extension mirrors the continued mask mandates being upheld in several Philippine airlines, including Philippine Airlines (PAL), AirAsia Philippines, and Cebu Pacific which all still require face masks and shields for passengers and cabin crew.
“Alert levels may have eased, but Philippine Airlines’ safety protocols remain the same. The highest standards of safety continue to be observed on each and every flight,” PAL said in a statement.
The move comes at a time when the Philippines expects an influx of travelers this year.
“We are confident that summer 2022 is really the onset of recovery not only for AirAsia Philippines but also to all other airlines in the country,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan told the Manila Times, adding that the upcoming Easter holiday as well as the May 2022 election when many expect Philippine voters to travel home. n
