WASHINGTON (AP) – The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will continue to require masks nationwide for planes and public transportation for 15 days as it controls the rise in COVID -19 cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they will extend the order, which expired April 18, to May 3, to give more time to study the omicron subtype BA.2, which is now responsible for most cases. I am
“To assess the potential increase in serious illness cases, including hospitalizations and deaths, and the capabilities of the health care system, the CDC will remain in command for now,” the agency said in a statement.
As the Transportation Safety Administration enforces rules for aircraft, buses, trains and transit hubs, demand continued last month. He said the CDC hopes to develop a more flexible masking approach that will replace the nation’s needs. .
The mask mandate is the most visible and perhaps the most controversial remnant of government restrictions on pandemic control. The increase in abusive and sometimes violent accidents on planes is mainly related to the misunderstanding over the use of face masks.
Separately, the Biden administration also extended the public health emergency effective since early 2020 by 90 days. This allows for the temporary extension of a series of broad-supported public health events, with greater Medicaid coverage. generous and ending with the flexibility associated with the health of television.
The demand for a traveler mask has been the target of airline lobbies who have been trying to kill him for months. Carriers say efficient air filters on modern planes make it less likely to transmit the virus while flying. Republicans in Congress also fought to lose the mandate.
Critics have noted that states have repealed rules requiring the use of masks in restaurants, stores, and other indoor settings, but COVID-19 cases have fallen since the variant of Omicron in mid -January. .
“It’s very hard to understand why masks are still needed on planes, but not in crowded bars and restaurants; In crowded sports stadiums; In schools full of children; Or large indoor political demonstrations,” Nicolas said. Callio, chief executive of Industrial Commerce Group Airlines, said Wednesday in a letter to heads of the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services. “In other words, extending the mask mandate is pointless.”
There has been a small increase in cases in recent weeks, with daily confirmed cases nationwide ranging from approximately 25,000 to 30,000 per day. More than 85% of these cases are highly contagious BA.2 strain. These numbers may not be enough because many people now get positive tests at home tests that are not reported to public health agencies.
Severe illness and death usually delay infections for several weeks. The CDC is awaiting indications that the increase in cases is linked to an increase in bad outcomes before announcing a more stringent mask policy for travel.
The poll showed that 51% wanted the mandate to expire, while 48% said the mandate should remain, in fact, evenly, due to poll errors. Democrats were overwhelmingly supportive of the government, while Republicans were more united against it. Vaccinated people and people with chronic illnesses advocate following this rule, but with lower limitations.
Airlines imposed warrants on their masks in 2020 when the Trump administration refused to act. Associations representing flight attendants that previously supported masks policies are now refusing to take sides because their members are divided over the issue.
It is unclear whether removing this rule will increase people’s ability to travel more or less by plane or subway.
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said some people can start flying if they don’t have to wear a mask, while others can stop flying if other passengers open their masks. He called both groups “hedgehogs” and predicted many people would continue to wear masks, even if the rule was broken.
Regarding the Department of Health and Human Services’s recently extended public health emergency, the administration has promised to alert countries 60 days before it is completed.
The disruption to the emergency announcement could force approximately 15 million Medicaid beneficiaries to seek new sources of coverage, require Congressional action to maintain widespread access to TV for Medicare subscribers, and go through special rules in COVID-19. and payment policies for hospitals, doctors and health care providers. There are also questions about how to implement emergency use approvals for COVID-19 treatment.
Report by David Koenig from Dallas. AP Health writers Mike Stobb in New York and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington contributed to this report.
Source: Huffpost
