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MIAMI (CBSMiami/CNN) — A federal requirement to wear face masks on airlines and public transportation will be extended for another two weeks by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as early as Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the Biden administration’s plans who was authorized to speak about them.
The federal mandate, which requires masks on public transportation such as planes, trains, buses — as well as in hubs like airports and bus terminals — had been set to expire on April 18.
The goal of the extension was to gather more information and understanding of the BA.2 variant of the coronavirus.
“Since early April, there have been increases in the 7-day moving average of cases in the US. In order to assess the potential impact, the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, CDC is recommending that TSA extend the security directive to enforce mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs for 15 days, through May 3, 2022,” the official told CNN.
The official added, “This will give additional time for the CDC to learn more about BA.2 and make a best-informed decision.”
The US is now averaging 38,345 new COVID-19 cases per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Cases are trending up in more than half of states — including all but one state in the Northeast, Delaware. But the daily rate is still one of the lowest since mid-July.
According to the latest estimates from the CDC, BA.2 caused 86% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide last week.
(©2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company, contributed to this report.)