EXCLUSIVE US plans to extend the mandate of transport masks until January 18, sources say

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration plans to extend the requirement for travelers to wear masks on planes, trains and buses as well as at airports and train stations until the 18th January to deal with risks from COVID-19, three sources told Reuters.

Major U.S. airlines were made aware of the planned extension during a call with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, the three people briefed on the matter said. A separate appeal with aviation unions is scheduled for Wednesday, a source said.

The current order for TSA transport masks runs until September 13.

The TSA declined to comment and CDC officials did not immediately comment. A spokesperson for Airlines for America, a trade association representing American Airlines Co (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), United Airlines (UAL.O), Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) and others, declined to comment.

The current CDC order, which has been in place shortly after Biden took office in January, requires the use of face masks in almost all forms of public transportation.

It requires that face masks be worn by all travelers on airplanes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis and carpools and in transportation hubs such as airports, bus or bus terminals. ferry, train and metro stations and seaports.

The requirements have been the source of some friction, especially on board US airlines, where some travelers have refused to wear masks. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that as of Jan. 1, it had received reports from airlines of 2,867 passengers refusing to wear a mask.

A group of Republican lawmakers introduced legislation in July banning mask warrants for public transportation, and other Republicans want the CDC to exempt fully vaccinated Americans from the requirements.

The CDC masks order does not have an expiration date. The CDC made a minor change to its rules in June, saying it would no longer require travelers to wear masks at outdoor transit hubs and outdoor spaces on ferries and buses.

Last month, the CDC official who signed the mask order, Marty Cetron, told Reuters the transit mask warrants were in effect.

“The masks are really powerful and we have to make sure they are part of our arsenal,” Cetron said. “The truth is, the unvaccinated portion that is out there is extremely vulnerable.”

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham and Sonya Hepinstall

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.