Collins, Colleagues Press CDC, TSA for Update on Travel Guidance, Mask Requirements on Planes, Buses

Press Release

U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for more information on when and how the agencies will update their travel guidance for vaccinated people.

"The CDC's guidance on face masks for fully vaccinated people has evolved as new data have become available and as more individuals are vaccinated. In May, the CDC announced new guidance that fully vaccinated individuals could resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart," the Senators wrote. "At that time, the CDC said that it would continue to update its guidance for travel as the science emerges and that it would need to collaborate with other agencies as the face mask requirement is an interagency policy.

"As there has not yet been any change in the requirement for masks while traveling, we request an update on the CDC's and TSA's process for updating the mask requirement for fully vaccinated individuals and what the science is showing about the transmission of COVID-19 for fully vaccinated individuals while traveling," the Senators continued.

As the Ranking Member of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins questioned the Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier this month on when and how the agency will update its travel guidance for airlines, including mask mandates.

Last month, Senator Collins pressed CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on the agency's conflicting and confusing recommendations for outdoor masks, school reopenings, and summer camps. Later that same week, the agency updated its guidelines, stating that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks in most indoor and outdoor settings.

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