US doubles fines for travelers not wearing masks

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Reuters) – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is doubling fines for first-time offenders who do not wear masks, effective Friday, and said repeat offenders could face fines of up to $ 3,000.

The White House said President Joe Biden was imposing higher fines to “ensure masking requirements remain in place on other modes of transportation as we continue to fight COVID-19.”

The TSA said the new fines would be “$ 500 to $ 1,000 for first offenders and $ 1,000 to $ 3,000 for second offenders.”

Biden told reporters at the White House, “The TSA will double the fines for travelers who refuse to mask themselves. If you break the rules, be prepared to pay. And by the way, show respect.”

He criticized the anger shown by some passengers towards flight attendants and others for enforcing mask requirements.

“It’s wrong. It’s ugly,” Biden said.

Last month, the TSA extended requirements for travelers to wear masks on planes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations until January 18 to deal with ongoing COVID-19 risks. The settlement was due to expire on September 13.

TSA administrator David Pekoske said that “by doubling the range of sanctions, we seek to reinforce the importance of voluntary membership.”

The TSA said operators across the transportation network have reported more than 4,000 incidents related to face masks. To date, nearly 4,000 warnings have been sent and 126 have been referred for civil sanction.

The TSA said in January that the first incidents would start at $ 250 for failure to wear masks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed much higher fines for not wearing masks on airplanes and for other disruptive behavior.

The FAA has proposed penalties totaling more than $ 1 million, including numerous fines of $ 9,000 for not wearing masks on planes.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler

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