Extension of transportation mask mandate ‘absolutely on the table,’ Jha says

The Biden administration is prepared to extend the federal mask mandate further for transportation networks, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said.

The federal mandate, which applies to transportation hubs, including airports, airplanes, and public transportation, was scheduled to lift on April 18, having already been extended a month. The administration has signaled that it is willing to prolong the mandate despite pressure from Republicans and outside groups.

“This is a [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] decision, and I think it is absolutely on the table,” Jha said on the Today show on Monday.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has been criticized for promulgating confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging from the agency concerning the best COVID-19 prevention practices, such as masking recommendations. For instance, when the CDC abruptly reversed its stance on masking last summer in the face of a new delta variant surge, announcing that people should mask up regardless of vaccination status, a group of Republican lawmakers joined forces to introduce a bill that would compel the Government Accountability Office to review the CDC's decision-making and messaging regarding its reversal on mask guidance.