Ashish Kumar Jha, the new White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator has said that yet another extension of the federal face mask mandate covering public transport remains “absolutely on the table” and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is still to make a final decision on the matter.
The mask mandate is due to expire on April 18 but, as has happened several times already, the mandate could yet again be extended. The last extension was for just one month from March 18 which was meant to give the CDC time to work out a new framework that could potentially sunset the mandate altogether or limit it to select high-danger areas.
“I know the CDC is working on developing a scientific framework for how to answer that,” Jha told NBC News on Monday when asked about the federal face mask mandate. The final decision, Jha says, will be left to CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky. The framework is set to be published within the next few days.
With just seven days before the mandate is set to expire, the CDC is yet again leaving its decision to the very last minute. The CDC now considers most of the United States low-risk for COVID-19 according to its ‘community levels’ framework but a new surge in infections is a cause for concern that could prompt
The airline industry yet again urged the Biden administration to drop the mask mandate on Monday in a letter from the D.C.-based lobby group Airlines For America which says such a move is supported by the “science”.
“Numerous studies and public health experts have demonstrated that planes are among the safest of indoor environments due to the superior ventilation and hospital-grade air filters on commercial aircraft,” the letter explains.
“Another critical factor is the widespread availability of effective masks that can be worn by anyone who wishes to do so,” the letter continued. The Biden administration has been responsible for making effective N95 masks freely available to the American people.
Along with dropping the mask mandate, the airline and travel industry would also like the administration to axe the requirement for a pre-departure test for travelers heading to the United States.
Last week, however, the now ex White House Covid czar said there were “no plans” to end the testing requirement.
Under existing rules set by the CDC, nearly all travelers coming to the United States must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of departure. The travel industry says this is “imposing significant costs on the traveling public”.
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