(2 Feb 2021) A federal requirement to wear masks at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints went into effect Tuesday and will last until May. The new rules allow TSA agents to enforce President Joe Biden's Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel.
Travelers who refuse to follow the mandate could face penalties or denied entry to their flights. The mandate applies to airports, bus, and rail stations, as well as while on passenger aircraft, public transportation, passenger railroads, and over-the-road buses operating on scheduled fixed-routes.
While many airports and airlines have required masks for months, the news was welcomed by Miguel Martinez, a traveler from California who was leaving Seattle.
"A lot of times you hear people who contradict masks say, 'well, it's not a law, it's not a mandate, it's not anything, you know, it's not my right. I don't have to do it.' And we actually feel like that. We have good federal support to make people wear those masks now and be able to travel again, feeling somewhat safe a little bit," he said.
Signs alerting to the new mandate were posted at checkpoints in The Seattle-Tacoma International airport.
At Dulles airport, outside of Washington D.C., worker Belinda Moh also welcomed the new federal rule.
"I'm glad to see that there is a federal mandate - the airlines have been mandating mask wearing for their passengers and compliance has been generally really good. I think it just helps to have a federal mandate to sort of sweep in the last few stragglers who might not want to wear mask," she said.
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