TSA extends mask mandate on planes and public transport for another FOUR MONTHS until January 18
President Joe Biden's administration is planning to extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through January 18 as the Delta COVID-19 variant continues to surge.
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson confirmed the extension.
'The purpose of TSA’s mask directive is to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation,' the spokesperson said.
The mandate was previously set to expire on September 13.
Major US airlines were informed of the planned extension on a call with TSA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, four people briefed on the matter said.
Airlines have endured consistent struggles with the mask mandates in the airport and on flights as 2,867 passengers in total this year have refused to wear masks, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
A TSA federal fine is still in place through September for passengers who refuse to wear a mask, beginning at $250 and an extension to $1500 for repeat offenders, according to The Hill.
The Biden administration extended the mask mandate for public transportation until January 18 due to the surge in cases from the Indian 'Delta' variant
Passengers who continue to refuse to comply with the mask mandate will be asked to pay a $250 by the TSA, up to $1,500 for repeat offenders
The Association of Flight Attendants supported the extension of this mandate.
International AFA president Sara Nelson said: 'While vaccination has been key to the increased air travel demand, the lagging vaccination rates and rise of the Delta variant has caused cases to skyrocket again - threatening lives, continued virus mutation, and recovery from this pandemic.
'TSA Administrator [David] Pekoske's decision in coordination with the Biden administration to continue the TSA enforcement directive for the CDC transportation mask mandate will help tremendously to keep passengers and aviation workers safe.'
Although masks are required for indoor public transportations as well stations and airports, the CDC began letting passengers go mask-free in outdoor transportation hubs in June.
CDC official Mary Centron told Reuters: 'Masks are really powerful and we should make sure they're part of our arsenal.
'The truth is that the unvaccinated portion that's out there is extremely vulnerable.'
Republican lawmakers have opposed the mask mandate for public transportation after they introduced a legislation in July.
They also believe that unvaccinated individuals should be exempt from having to follow the mandate.
Various U.S. states have also begun implementing mask mandates for indoor public spaces as the Delta variant continues to spike cases across the nation.
Various U.S. states have begun implementing masks in public places again as cases continue to soar
The number of COVID-19 cases is continuing to rise across the United States as the fourth wave of the pandemic rages on, but there are signs the increase may be slowing.
On Sunday, officials recorded 38,482 new cases of the virus with a seven-day rolling average of 130,221, data from Johns Hopkins University show.
This represents a 150 percent from the average of 52,116 reported three weeks ago and is the highest figure seen since February 2, according to a DailyMail.com analysis.
Although that is a large jump, it's smaller than the increase seen last Sunday, when it was reported that infections had risen by 240 percent over a three-week period.
There were 382 virus-related fatalities recorded on Sunday with a seven-day rolling average of 644, which is a 129 percent increase from the average of 281 reported three weeks prior and the highest number seen since May 30.
However, about half as many deaths are being recorded as were during November 2020, the last time that COVID-19 cases were trending upward.
The surge in the U.S. has been blamed on the spread of the Indian 'Delta' variant, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates.
Over the last two weeks, Florida's seven-day rolling average of new Covid cases has risen 139 percent from 15,817 per day to 37,941, which is the highest ever recorded.
In Florida, virus cases have filled so many hospital beds that several hospitals say they have run out of room.
Hospitals are converting conference rooms, cafeterias and ambulatory centers into Covid wards to deal with the surge in patients.
Florida continues to be America's COVID-19 epicenter with 151,764 new cases recorded last week as hospitals report a record-high number of hospitalizations
'Between increasing numbers of COVID patients and unusually high patient volume of extremely ill non-COVID patients, our hospitals are working to maximize their available staff and beds,' Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association (FHA), said in a statement.
In Texas, the seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases has risen 348 percent in a month to 12,478 per day from an average of 2,783 per day.
The state expects that a rise in deaths will soon follow with officials requesting five mortuary trailers from the federal government, reported NBC News.
The trucks will be sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and distributed around Texas.
Texas is currently averaging 80 COVID-related deaths per day, a figure not seen since mid-March 2021.
In Texas, the seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases has risen 348% in a month to 12,478 per day from an average of 2,783 per day
According to a survey conducted by the FHA, 68 percent of hospitals are expected to reach a critical staffing shortage.
According to state data, more than half of the hospital regions in Texas - 12 out of 22 - have 10 or fewer ICU beds currently available.
Of those regions, seven - Abilene, Bryan, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lufkin and Waco - have no ICU beds available.
'The ICUs are full,' Dr Kunal Sharma, Chief of Emergency Services at LBJ Hospital, told CBS News.
'Every bed is accounted for, and in fact, we have patients waiting in our emergency center for ICU beds to open up...Some wait hours, some wait days, to be frank.'
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