Posted on Apr 13, 2022
CDC extends transportation mask mandate until May 3
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/04/13/ [login to see] /cdc-extends-transportation-mask-mandate-until-may-3
The Biden administration is extending its face mask requirement for public transit for another 15 days. That means travelers will still need to mask up in airports, planes, buses, trains and at transit hubs until May 3.
The mask travel requirement had been set to expire this coming Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping in place its mask order "in order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity," according to an agency spokesperson.
The spokesperson also confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration, which handles enforcement of the order, is extending its security directive and emergency amendment for another 15 days.
The decision was made in response to the increasing spread of the omicron subvariant in the U.S. and an increase in the 7-day moving average of cases, which have risen by around 25% over the last two weeks nationally. Certain states are seeing much larger increases in new cases.
The Biden administration is extending its face mask requirement for public transit for another 15 days. That means travelers will still need to mask up in airports, planes, buses, trains and at transit hubs until May 3.
The mask travel requirement had been set to expire this coming Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping in place its mask order "in order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity," according to an agency spokesperson.
The spokesperson also confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration, which handles enforcement of the order, is extending its security directive and emergency amendment for another 15 days.
The decision was made in response to the increasing spread of the omicron subvariant in the U.S. and an increase in the 7-day moving average of cases, which have risen by around 25% over the last two weeks nationally. Certain states are seeing much larger increases in new cases.
CDC extends transportation mask mandate until May 3
Posted from npr.org
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Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The mask mandate was set to expire April 18, but the Biden administration will keep the requirement in place for another 15 days amid the rise in cases driven by the new BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant, which makes up more than 85% of U.S. infections.
"In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time," the CDC said in a statement.
The decision to keep the mandate in place into early May comes as Republican lawmakers and executives at the nation's top airlines pushed the Biden administration to lift the masking requirements after there was a severe drop in cases beginning in mid-January. But the new subvariant of the Omicron strain has led to a slight uptick in reported infections since early April, driving outbreaks in the Northeast and parts of Florida.
Still, most of the country has low COVID-19 community levels, according to the CDC. Levels are determined by examining the percentage of hospital beds used by patients with COVID-19, the rate of new hospital admissions and rate of new cases in the community.
Still, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the nation is likely "dramatically undercounting cases" with many Americans taking at-home COVID-19 tests, the results of which are mostly not reported to public health agencies."...
..."The mask mandate was set to expire April 18, but the Biden administration will keep the requirement in place for another 15 days amid the rise in cases driven by the new BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant, which makes up more than 85% of U.S. infections.
"In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time," the CDC said in a statement.
The decision to keep the mandate in place into early May comes as Republican lawmakers and executives at the nation's top airlines pushed the Biden administration to lift the masking requirements after there was a severe drop in cases beginning in mid-January. But the new subvariant of the Omicron strain has led to a slight uptick in reported infections since early April, driving outbreaks in the Northeast and parts of Florida.
Still, most of the country has low COVID-19 community levels, according to the CDC. Levels are determined by examining the percentage of hospital beds used by patients with COVID-19, the rate of new hospital admissions and rate of new cases in the community.
Still, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the nation is likely "dramatically undercounting cases" with many Americans taking at-home COVID-19 tests, the results of which are mostly not reported to public health agencies."...
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SMSgt Anil Heendeniya
...but it's going to flutter the petticoats of the anti-health and safety crowd...
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