Mask requirement for public transit and passenger rail extended to March 2022
The Biden Administration has announced it will extend the requirement that face masks to be worn on airplanes, passenger trains and public transportation through March 18, 2022.
The extension of the mask requirement on transportation is part of the administration’s plans to combat two variants of COVID-19, Delta and the newly discovered Omicron. The Delta variant became the dominate variant in the U.S. this summer and Omicron has emerged with the label from the World Health Organization as a “variant of concern.”
This is the third extension of the mask requirement for certain modes of transportation. The rule first went into effect on Feb. 1, 2021, and was set to expire on May 11 before being extended to September 2021, then January 2022 and now March 18, 2022.
In a statement outlining the administration’s plans to fight the pandemic this winter, the White House said fines would continue to be double for those found to be in noncompliance with the masking requirements. The minimum fine is $500 and can raise up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.
Following the administration's announcement the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a statement that said "TSA in conjunction with the CDC, will extend the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through March 18, 2022."
TSA had not yet updated the dates of its current security directive for those transportation modes impacted by the extended mask rule; this story will be updated when the directive is published.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
