The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on April 13 that it is extending the nationwide mask requirement for passengers on planes, trains, and buses for fifteen days as it monitors an increase in COVID-19 cases.

According to The New York Times, even though various hospitality and travel industry sectors have lobbied to end the mask mandate, the CDC decided to extend the requirement for at least two more weeks.

The federal mandate was set to expire on April 18, but it will now stay in place until May 3 unless further changes or extensions are made.

The New York Times reports that the extension follows the recent spread of two new subvariants of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The new subvariants are responsible for about 85% of the cases currently seen across the country. While reviewing daily COVID data, the CDC has detected that there has been a slight increase in the seven-day average since the beginning of April.

The New York Times reports the CDC wants to study the impact the subvariants could have on the health of those who contract the virus before it makes any changes to mask mandates. Public transportation poses a significant concern for spreading the virus since many passengers are often crowded close together in a confined space. 

While looking at the characteristics of the Omicron subvariants, the CDC said it would review information about hospitalizations and the number of deaths that could be attributed to the variant so that the healthcare system does not become overwhelmed once again as it was at the start of the pandemic.

The New York Times reports Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the White House COVID coordinator, recently appeared on the Today show on NBC. During the show, Dr. Jha discussed how the federal government established a framework to help the CDC better understand the virus’s variants. The agency determines if an extension is required for public safety through analysis. 

According to the New York Times, new cases increased to about 31,000 a day on April 12 before the CDC extended the mask mandate. That is roughly 8% more cases than seen in the past two weeks.

Even though cases have increased, the numbers are not as high as the CDC recorded throughout the winter months when the Omicron variant first appeared. While some travelers favor the extension as it makes them feel safer, many in the hospitality industry are ready for a bit of normalcy once again, the New York Times reports.

Most congressional Democrats have continued to support the requirement, according to MSN.

On March 28, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to the CDC and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) urging them to consider continuing masking requirements on public transportation during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“Although cases of COVID-19 in the United States have declined from this winter’s peak, the virus continues to pose a threat to the public, particularly for seniors, the immunocompromised, and individuals with disabilities. The emergence of a new and even more transmissible variant only confirms that COVID remains a serious, ongoing danger,” wrote Sen. Markey. “For that reason, I urge CDC to consider extending its mask order and continue requiring masks on public and commercial transportation. In any modifications to these requirements, both CDC and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must center efforts to protect the elderly, the immunocompromised, and individuals with disabilities.”

The CDC announced in April that it would phase out Title 42, a public health order that has allowed the U.S. government to expel more than 1.7 million lawful and unlawful migrants from the southern border for the past two years. Biden’s administration claims that the pandemic has subsided sufficiently to resume regular immigration proceedings for asylum seekers.

“Biden is lifting COVID restrictions for illegal immigrants flooding into the country, but not for Americans on airplanes. That makes no sense,” RNC Research tweeted on April 13.

“Biden’s extension of the transportation mask mandate simply prolongs the misery that passengers and flight attendants are being forced to endure,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted. “This is not evidence based, but simply more Covid theater.”

“No surprise,” U.S. Senator Ron Paul tweeted. “Biden continues to mandate wearing ineffective masks on planes – time to vote out these petty tyrants.”