JUST IN: The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to a person familiar with the matter.
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was set to extend the order, which was to expire on April 18, by two weeks to monitor for any observable increase in severe virus outcomes as cases rise in parts of the country.
The move was being made out of abundance of caution, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC’s action.When the Transportation Security Administration, which enforces the rule for planes, buses, trains and transit hubs, extended the requirement last month, it said the CDC had been hoping to roll out a more flexible masking strategy that would have replaced the nationwide requirement.
The mask mandate is the most visible vestige of government restrictions to control the pandemic, and possibly the most controversial. A surge of abusive and sometimes violent incidents on airplanes has been attributed mostly to disputes over mask-wearing.Critics have seized on the fact that states have rolled back rules requiring masks in restaurants, stores and other indoor settings, and yet COVID-19 cases have fallen sharply since the omicron variant peaked in mid-January.
There has been a slight increase in cases in recent weeks, driven by an even more contagious subvariant of the omicron strain, with daily confirmed cases nationwide rising from about 25,000 per day to more than 30,000. Those figures are an undercount since many people now test positive on at-home tests that are not reported to public health agencies.
Severe illnesses and deaths tend to lag infections by several weeks. The CDC is awaiting indications of whether the increase in cases correlates to a rise in adverse outcomes before announcing a less restrictive mask policy for travel.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Manchin lambastes Biden admin, Federal Reserve over slow inflation response: 'When will this end?'Sen. Joe Manchin said Tuesday that President Biden's administration and the Federal Reserve need to step up in the fight against inflation.
Leer más »
Biden aims at 'ghost gun' violence with new federal rulePresident Joe Biden is taking fresh aim at “ghost guns,” the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes
Leer más »
WATCH LIVE: Biden Unveils New Rule on ‘Ghost Guns,' Names ATF NomineeLIVE: President Biden is expected to unveil new rules on ghost guns as pressure grows to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the U.S. Tap to watch.
Leer más »
Saugus school shooting survivor speaks at White House, praises Biden for crackdown on ghost gunsSaugus High School shooting survivor Mia Tretta spoke at the White House and praised the Biden administration for cracking down on ghost guns.
Leer más »
President Biden Announces New Regulations To Get Ghost Guns Off The StreetPresident Joe Biden on Monday took aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes.
Leer más »