Federal mask mandate extended to May 3

The Centers for Disease Control is keeping the mask mandate for air travel and public transportation in place for two more weeks through May 3 to give health officials time “to assess the potential impact” of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases and a new variant. Neither the face covering mandate nor a requirement for pre-departure testing of international passengers “is currently supported by data and science in today’s public health environment,” Nicholas Calio, CEO of Airlines for America, said shortly before the extension was announced.