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President Biden signs federal mandate for masks on flights
One of new President Joe Biden’s first tasks in the Oval Office was to sign an executive order mandating the wearing of masks on flights.
The executive order requires passengers to wear face coverings during interstate travel on planes, trains and buses.
Although airlines have imposed their own rules demanding passengers wear masks, the Trump administration refused to make it a federal mandate.
Airlines and union leaders have been calling for federal intervention due to the sheer number of incidents of passengers refusing to follow the airlines’ rules.
A federal mandate now carries more weight and legal repercussions for violators rather than simply being banned by individual airlines.
"It is the policy of my Administration to halt the spread of coronavirus. Put simply, masks and other public health measures reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when communities make widespread use of such measures, and thus save lives," Biden wrote in his executive order.
It was one of several executive actions specifically aimed at addressing the Covid-19 problem in the US.
"People coming on board don’t find masks to be essential and they have challenged mask compliance across the board, partly because it has been made a political issue," said Taylor Garland, spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants.
Written by Ray Montgomery
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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