Biden Extends Mask Requirement for Travelers until Jan. 18, 2022: With No Known End Point

     President Joe Biden plans to extend to Jan. 18, 2022, with no known expiration date, the mask requirement he put into place since the president took office in January for airplane, train, and bus onboard and at airports and train stations to continue to protect Americans from infection with COVID-19, reported Reuters, which noted that the current mask mandate for travelers was to expire on Sept. 13.

     "The truth is that the unvaccinated portion [43% of the US population] that's out there is extremely vulnerable,” said Marty Cetron, the CDC official who signed the mask order for travelers.

     In June, the CDC said it would no longer require travelers to wear masks in outdoor transit hubs and in outdoor spaces, such as for ferries and buses.

     Major U.S. airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were informed of the president’s extension of his mask mandate for travelers on a call with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today, while a separate call with aviation unions is planned for Wednesday.

      While most Americans comply without complaint with the mask mandate when they travel, a fraction of travelers have caused trouble by refusing to mask up: despite the crowded, close quarters of most modes of travel.

      Although millions have passed through TSA security checkpoints this year, since Jan. 1, 2,867 passengers have been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for refusing to wear a mask, the FAA said today.

    While in July, a group of Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that would prohibit mask mandates for public transport, other Republicans want the CDC to completely exempt fully vaccinated Americans from any mask requirements.