The Biden administration has extended the mask mandate for travelers on airplanes, trains buses until Jan. 18, 2022.
A spokesperson from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also confirmed the extension, saying, "The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation.”
The mandate was originally put into place via executive order in Jan. 2021 and was set to expire on May 11, then was extended until Sept. 13 and again until Jan. 18, 2022. But the highly contagious delta variant has moved the federal government to extend the mandate yet again.
It’s important to note that while this announcement extends the date of enforcement, all other aspects of the initial requirement remain the same – like exemptions and civil penalties. Exemptions for travelers under the age of 2 and travelers with certain disabilities will continue. Travelers could still face fines from TSA for not wearing a mask, which started at $250 and rise to $1,500 for repeat offenders who violate this requirement. As of Sept. 10, 2021, fines are now $500 to $1,000 for the first offense and $1,000 to $3,000 for the second offense.
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