On April 30th, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced an extension to the federal mask mandate through summer and into fall.  The current mandate is set to expire May 11th, but will now be in effect until September 13th 2021.

The extended mandate order is just one of many actions the federal government is taking in response to continuing COVID-19 infections.  Although vaccines are now rapidly and widely available, the truth is the threat of the virus to citizens is still great.  This extension has been instituted in hopes of curbing future infection rates, all with the goal of protecting our communities, and hopefully quickening us as a nation back to a return to normalcy.

This mask mandate is most likely a way to prevent even more transmission of COVID-19 since President Joe Biden has announced that people can remove their masks if they are with a small group of Vaccinated people who are outside. Although that a small group of people this could be a problem as more and more people may still take this as a pandemic which would make the mask mandate extension important.

The extension is only being applied to air travel and does not extend beyond the vast transportation network TSA covers.

Stay informed and updated on travel requirements, as there is a higher than usual expected amount of summer travelers this year as many people who had to give up their vacations at the start of the pandemic last year are now adamant about hitting the airways, railways, and highways this summer for some long overdue rest and relaxation.  Let’s all do our part and be prepared to do it safely.