NEWS: Travel Mask Mandates to be Extended in U.S.

By Madison Owens Leave a Comment

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit.

COVID-19 is continuing to impact travel in the United States.

Airport Crowds

Travel restrictions remained in place for a while in the U.S., but were recently lifted to vaccinated travelers. However, now more restrictions have been put into place again due to the Omicron variant of the virus spreading. And now, there is an update on mask mandates for travel in the U.S.

President Biden is set to extend mask mandates for travel through March of 2022, according to the New York Times. The mandates are that travelers wear masks on airplanes, trains, and buses, as well as at airports and transit stations. The current mandate was set to expire on January 18th, 2022.

Orlando International Airport

The decision is part of a plan that will be announced by President Biden today as part of a wider strategy for combating COVID-19 this winter, according to the New York Times. The strategy will also include a new requirement that international travelers will have to be tested for COVID-19 one day before leaving for the U.S.

Masks will remain in place for a while longer

The announcement comes as nearly 2 dozen countries — including the United States — have now detected the Omicron variant, according to the New York Times. The first confirmed Omicron case in the U.S. was recently detected in San Francisco, California in a patient who had traveled in from South Africa.

Airplane

President Biden has already put travel restrictions into place for people traveling to the U.S. from 8 African countries, including South Africa, according to the New York Times. As of right now, not much is known about the Omicron variant of the virus. It was first identified in Botswana and South Africa and the World Health Organization has said it’s a “variant of concern.”