US extends travel mask rule 2 weeks to track COVID

The Biden administration has announced it will extend through May 3rd the nationwide mask requirement for 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 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron sub variant that is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the U.S.

The administration had been hoping to roll out a more flexible masking strategy this week to replace the nationwide requirement.