The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that the federal mask mandate for public transportation has been extended through May 3, after it was set to expire on April 18.
The CDC said in their statement that recent increases in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant and the BA.2 subvariant have caused them to keep the mandate in place for an additional 15 days.
"CDC continues to monitor the spread of the Omicron variant, especially the BA.2 subvariant that now makes up more than 85% of U.S. cases," the CDC said in the statement. "Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases in the U.S."
As of April 13, the daily average for new COVID-19 cases sits at 30,496, according to the CDC. The BA.2 subvariant has continued to rise since first being detected in February and accounting for just 1% of new cases on Feb. 5.
"The CDC Mask Order remains in effect while CDC assesses the potential impact of the rise of cases on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and healthcare system capacity," the CDC said in the statement.
Overall, new cases have been mostly in the Northeast, while some regions of the United States have seen little change in the number of people testing positive.
Some believe that the mask mandate for public transportation on planes and trains should be extended even longer.
"The C.D.C. is extending the mask mandate for public transport for two weeks," Dr. Lucky Tran said, according to The New York Times. "That’s not enough. Millions rely on public transportation every day to get to work or access essential services."
While others, like airlines and Republican lawmakers and have been pushing for the mask mandate to be lifted since the spike in cases from the omicron variant began to decrease in January.
"It is very difficult to understand why masks are still required on airplanes, but not needed in crowded bars and restaurants; in packed sports arenas; in schools full of children; or at large indoor political gatherings," Nicholas Calio, CEO of the group Airlines for America, said in a letter to the CDC on Wednesday before the extension was announced, per the Associated Press.
"Simply put, an extension of the mask mandate does not make sense."
The Transportation Security Administration has dealt with countless issues on planes and other forms of public transportation while they follow the CDC mask mandate guidelines. Prior to spring break travel picking up throughout March, the TSA issued a statement to remind travelers of the rules.
"Tip 1: Continue to wear a face mask. The mask requirement remains in place and TSA will continue to assess the duration of the requirement in consultation with CDC."
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