Any excitement around the approaching May 11 date for the TSA’s face mask mandate to expire has just been squashed. Taking to Twitter to make the announcement, the TSA’s Pacific account on Friday stated “#BREAKING: @TSA is extending the face mask requirement across all transportation modes thru Sept. 13, 2021. This includes at airports, on board commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems. #MaskUp.”
In the thread, the account also mentioned, “The initial face mask requirement went into effect on Feb. 1, 2021, with an original expiration date of May 11, 2021.” The announcement was posted along with a TSA.gov official statement that reads “TSA requires the proper wearing of face masks, per federal law. Face masks are to be worn at all times. Failure to comply will result in denial of boarding or removal, and may result in penalties.”
Hopefully, we will all be so lucky as to receive the harsh punishment former Secretary of State and current special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry received when he was photographed by another passenger not wearing a mask in first class; nothing.
Is postponing the expiration of the mask mandate for five more months reasonable as the world is getting vaccinated? Even New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he hopes to have everything opened up by July. Not to be outdone, New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo chimed in to chastise the mayor, saying a July plan was not “sufficiently ambitious.”
