The federal mask mandate will be extended for another 30 days, to April 18, representing the fourth extension of the mandate for public transit, airplanes, and airports that was first introduced in February 2021.
The Biden administration has largely begun moving on from COVID-19-related restrictions but will extend the federal government’s most sweeping mask requirements for the time being.
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Citing sources, Bloomberg reporter Josh Wingrove said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “will use the month to review how and when to ease or eliminate the rule.”
The mandate was last extended on Dec. 2 as news of the omicron variant spread across the globe. The expiration date went from Jan. 18 to March 18 and will now run at least one month more. The White House waited much longer to announce the extension this time around, waiting until just eight days before the expiration date.
While the largest union of flight attendants said it had “every expectation” the mandate would be extended, airline industry and business groups have lobbied against it for months.
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Flights and the mask mandate have been a regular source of conflict and drama aboard several airlines. At least one flight has reversed course due to passengers rejecting the staff’s call for them to wear masks. Other families have alleged they were kicked off flights due to children not wearing masks.
