Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is leading a bipartisan group of senators including Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) in asking the CDC and the TSA for new guidance on mask-wearing on airplanes and buses. In a letter sent to those agencies, the group asks for clarity now that the CDC has said that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in public.
In the letter, the group says that they would like to see the data on how wearing a face masks works with fully vaccinated travelers.
“The CDC’s guidance on face masks for fully vaccinated people has evolved as new data have become available and as more individuals are vaccinated. In May, the CDC announced new guidance that fully vaccinated individuals could resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart. At that time, the CDC said that it would continue to update its guidance for travel as the science emerges and that it would need to collaborate with other agencies as the face mask requirement is an interagency policy."
Federal mask mandates related to traveling are presenting confusion, particularly for travels at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
"If you're a Minnesotan, you don't have to wear a mask in most places today, but when you fly you have to wear masks not only onboard aircraft, but also when they're inside airports," said MSP spokesman Patrick Hogan. "There is more confusion and questions today about why they need to where masks here and not someplace else."
In April, the Biden Administration extended transit facemask requirements until September 13.
"For us, we want to make sure that we are keeping people healthy, so it's really a question for federal and state health officials to take a look at air travel and decide what should be necessary in terms of wearing a mask or not," Hogan said. "Sen. Klobuchar and others in Washington are asking the right questions."
Since there have been no updates to the CDC's guidance on mask-wearing on airplances, the senators have five questions they would like answered:
1. What has the CDC learned about the transmission of COVID-19 on airplanes and other forms of transportation for fully vaccinated individuals?
2. What additional factors beyond how COVID-19 spreads, such as the impact on flight attendants or airline operations, are informing the mask requirement for travel?
3. Would removing the mask requirement for travel for fully vaccinated people encourage vaccination against COVID-19?
4. Would lifting the mask requirement for fully vaccinated travelers create administrability challenges?
5. What steps have the CDC, TSA, and other relevant federal agencies taken together to update the travel guidance and mask requirement?
The group says that they think if done safely, lifting the mask mandate would help the travel industry.
"If the requirement for wearing masks while traveling can be safely lifted and would serve the public health interest, then we believe it would benefit the traveling public. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and hard work in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic."
This is the full letter.
Dear Dr. Walensky and Administrator Pekoske:
We are writing regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) order and the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security directive to require the wearing of masks by individuals on public transportation conveyances—such as airplanes, buses, and trains—or at transportation hubs to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. We support measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and end the pandemic as soon as possible, but we also support steps to safely lift restrictions when appropriate.
We understand that CDC and TSA issued and have maintained the mask requirement for travel for several reasons, including that public transportation conveyances and transportation hubs are locations where many people gather, physical distancing can be difficult, and the option to get off or move to another area is not always available. In addition, people may need to take public transportation for their livelihoods, and individuals working or traveling on transportation conveyances may be unvaccinated or at increased risk of severe illness.
The CDC’s guidance on face masks for fully vaccinated people has evolved as new data have become available and as more individuals are vaccinated. In May, the CDC announced new guidance that fully vaccinated individuals could resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart. At that time, the CDC said that it would continue to update its guidance for travel as the science emerges and that it would need to collaborate with other agencies as the face mask requirement is an interagency policy.
As there has not yet been any change in the requirement for masks while traveling, we request an update on the CDC’s and TSA’s process for updating the mask requirement for fully vaccinated individuals and what the science is showing about the transmission of COVID-19 for fully vaccinated individuals while traveling. Specifically, we request answers by no later than July 12, 2021, to the following questions:
1. What has the CDC learned about the transmission of COVID-19 on airplanes and other forms of transportation for fully vaccinated individuals?
2. What additional factors beyond how COVID-19 spreads, such as the impact on flight attendants or airline operations, are informing the mask requirement for travel?
3. Would removing the mask requirement for travel for fully vaccinated people encourage vaccination against COVID-19?
4. Would lifting the mask requirement for fully vaccinated travelers create administrability challenges?
5. What steps have the CDC, TSA, and other relevant federal agencies taken together to update the travel guidance and mask requirement?
If the requirement for wearing masks while traveling can be safely lifted and would serve the public health interest, then we believe it would benefit the traveling public. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and hard work in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
