Washington – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday it will expand its offering nationwide. mask requirement for airline passengers and public transportation through May 3, citing the need to assess the impact of a new coronavirus subvariant that is driving most COVID-19 infections in the U.S.
The mask’s term was due to expire on April 18, but the Biden administration will maintain the requirement for a further 15 days amid the increase in cases caused by the new BA.2 underline of the Omicron variant, which constitutes more than 85% of infections in the US.
“In order to assess the potential impact of the increase in cases on serious illness, including hospitalizations and deaths, and the capacity of the health care system, the CDC’s order will remain in effect at this time.” say the CDC in a statement.
The decision to keep the term in force in early May comes as Republican lawmakers and executives of the country’s major airlines pushed the Biden administration to lift the masking requirements after there was a sharp drop in cases from mid-January. But the new Omicron strain subvariant has caused a slight increase in reported infections since early April, causing outbreaks in the northeast and parts of Florida.
However, most of the country has low levels of the COVID-19 community, 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 the rate of new cases in the community.
However, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, said “Face the Nation” On Sunday, the nation is likely to be “dramatically underestimating the cases” with many Americans taking COVID-19 tests at home, the results of which are mostly not reported to public health agencies.
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Monday that the extension of the travel mask’s mandate was “on the table,” even as states lifted the requirements. of inner mask as a result of the fall of new infections after the peak of mid-January.
Airlines began requiring passengers to wear face masks in 2020, and the CDC issued the federal public transportation requirement in January 2021 after President Biden took office. But the mandate of the planes has been to source of conflict, and flight attendants have stayed to enforce it. Carriers have reported 1,150 incidents of unruly passengers so far this year, 744 of which were related to face masks, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
- In:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- COVID-19[feminine]
- Mask guidelines
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