ROMULUS (WWJ) — It has been over two years since airline passengers were first required to wear masks covering their mouths and noses while in flight and in airports-- now travelers have been told to hold out a couple more weeks.
New recommendations released by the Centers of Disease and Control on Wednesday extended its nationwide mask mandate for airline passengers and other forms of public transportation until May 3rd.
The current requirement was due to end on Monday, April 18, but the recent rise in cases caused by the new BA 2 Omicron variant gave the Biden administration pause.
As a result, the CDC has kept the mask requirement in place for an additional three weeks.
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"In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time," the CDC said in a statement.
Authorities for the Detroit Metro Airport echoed the latest message from the CDC.
"Federal law requires face masks when in or on the premises of a transportation hub, including airports. DTW workers, customers, and visitors must wear a mask inside terminals and any buildings on airport grounds," airport officials said. "Failure to comply may result in removal from the airport, denial of re-entry and possible federal penalties."
Following a sharp drop in COVID cases that began at the beginning of the year, Republican lawmakers and top executives at several airlines have called on the government to lift the mask mandate.
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A surge of cases connected to the new COVID subvariant of the Omicron strain have concerned the White House. An uptick in cases have been reported in New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles County, Illinois and Oregon as the highly contagious omicron BA.2 variant becomes the dominant type of SARS CoV-2 in the country.
The CDC's requirement has not come without its share of push back; airlines have reported over 1,150 unruly passenger incidents in 2022, with more than half of altercations starting over masks, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
"Historically, the agency has addressed unruly-passenger incidents using a variety of methods ranging from warnings and counseling to civil penalties, the FAA said. "Under the new zero tolerance policy, FAA will not address these cases with warnings or counseling. The agency will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members."
