On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Transportation Security Administration announced that a COVID-19 mandate that requires all passengers to wear masks on commercial flights is being extended until at least mid-April.

The mandate had been set to expire on March 18, but the extension now delays that deadline until April 18.  The federal mask requirement applies to airports, commercial flights, buses and passenger rail systems.

The TSA said it made the decision based on a recommendation from the CDC, saying in a statement: “CDC will work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor. This revised framework will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science. We will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change.”

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