US President Joe Biden's administration is issuing a short-term extension on a federal mandate requiring travellers to wear masks on planes, trains and in transit hubs.
The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) will issue the two-week extension to monitor any increase in severe virus outcomes amid a surge in Covid-19 cases across the US, the Associated Press reported.
The current requirements, which have been in place since February 2021, were set to expire on April 18.
“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalisations and deaths, and healthcare system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time,” the CDC said in a statement.
A formal announcement is expected later on Wednesday.
When the Transportation Security Administration extended the requirement last month, it said the CDC had been hoping to roll out a more flexible masking strategy that would have replaced the nationwide requirement.
In a joint letter to the new White House Covid-19 response co-ordinator Dr Ashish Jha last month, groups including the US Transit Authority and the Chamber of Commerce pressed for an end to mask mandates.
The measures “no longer provide the public health benefits they once did”, it said. “Today, these measures are imposing significant costs on the travelling public, airline employees, and the American travel and tourism industries.”
Demand for transit across the US is at about 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the American Public Transit Association.
The Senate approved a resolution to repeal the federal travel mask mandate, but it has not moved into the House yet. The White House said it would veto the resolution.
Mask-wearing has been one of the most controversial actions the government has taken to control the virus, and a surge of abusive incidents on planes has been related to it.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) filed 5,981 unruly passenger reports, 4,290 of which were mask-related.
This year, the FAA has filed 1,150 reports of unruly passengers. Of that, 744 were related to face masks. Eighty passengers were referred to the FBI for potential prosecution.
Some airlines in the UK — which is recovering from a rise in cases of the BA. 2 Omicron subvariant — announced the removal of their mask mandates in mid-March.
Shortly afterwards, easyJet and British Airlines suffered staff shortages due to Covid-19 infections, which resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations.
Agencies contributed to this report
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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