The Transportation Security Administration is extending its masking requirement for all passengers on public transportation until mid-September, the agency announced on Friday.
The agency “is extending the face mask requirement across all transportation modes [through] Sept. 13, 2021,” according to TSA Pacific’s Twitter account. “This includes at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems.”
The requirement was initially enacted on February 1 and set to expire on May 11. Airlines have generally required that passengers wear masks since mid-2020.
“The federal mask requirement throughout the transportation system seeks to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation,” Darby LaJoye, the TSA’s Executive Assistant Administrator for Security Operations, said in a statement.
Children under the age of 2 as well as people with certain disabilities are exempt from the mandate.
Violators of the mandate are currently subject to a $250 fine, with fines increasing up to $1,500 for repeat offenders.