CDC extends travel mask requirement to May 3 as COVID rises

By ZEKE MILLER and DAVID KOENIG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has announced it will extend through May 3 the nationwide mask requirement for airplanes and public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The order was set to expire April 18, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday extended it by two weeks. The administration had been hoping to roll out a more flexible masking strategy this week to replace the nationwide requirement. In a statement Wednesday, the CDC said it will take the time to “assess the impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity.”