Decision on air travel mask mandate could come any day, White House official says
A decision on whether to extend the federal mask mandate for air travel could be coming any day, the new White House COVID-19 response coordinator said Monday.
Speaking about the mandate during a live interview on NBC’s "Today" show Monday, Dr. Ashish Jha, who started his new role last week, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to make a decision on the masking requirements in the coming days, but noted an extension of the mandate is “absolutely on the table.”
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
The federal mask mandate for public transportation, which includes air travel, is set to expire April 18. The mandate's most recent extension was last month, at which point the CDC gave some signals the rules could be revised or eliminated ahead of the April deadline. At the time, the CDC also announced plans to create new guidelines that would dictate when masks would be recommended on public transportation.
Jha said Monday that “scientific framework” would likely be out “in the next few days.”
“This is a decision that the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, is going to make,” he told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie Monday. “Throughout the entire pandemic we’ve wanted to make decisions based on the evidence and science, and that is what I expect we will do again this week.”
The federal mask mandate for air travel has been in place since January 2021, when President Joe Biden took office. The requirements have come under intensifying scrutiny in recent weeks, though. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution last month in support of ending the air travel mask mandate, but the measure had little effect: The Biden administration indicated the resolution would be vetoed if it ever got enough support in the House of Representatives.
Also last month, the heads of major U.S. airlines penned a letter asking the White House to end the mask mandate, as well as the testing requirement for international travelers entering the U.S. The White House currently has no plans to end the testing requirement, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients said before leaving office last week.
Related: CDC relaxes mask guidance, but not for air travel
Despite increasing pressure to end the mask mandate for air travel, though, there’s also been new concern about the latest COVID-19 numbers, with the BA.2 omicron subvariant leading to rising cases in some pockets of the country.
Regarding the possibility of the mandate being extended, Jha said, “This is a CDC decision and I think it is absolutely on the table.”
In his interview Monday, Jha added, though, that he’s “not overly concerned right now” about the latest COVID-19 trends, pointing to hospitalizations across the country, which remain, he said, at the lowest point of the entire pandemic.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, U.S. hospitals saw just over 15,000 COVID-19 patients receiving inpatient treatment last week. In mid-January, that number sat at more than 156,000 patients.
TPG reached out to the CDC on Monday for clarity on when, this week, the agency will announce its decision on the air travel mask mandate, and what factors will guide this decision. CDC officials did not immediately respond to our inquiry.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees