Lifestyle Travel Mask Mandate on Public Transportation, Including Planes and Trains, Extended Until Mid-April Face masks or coverings will still be required while utilizing public transportation and transportation hubs through April 18 By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is an Associate Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 11, 2022 02:22 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Travelers head to the airport wearing masks. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced an update to its mask mandate. On Thursday, the organization shared in a press release that it would be extending its rules for mask usage on public transportation and transportation hubs through April 18. The federal mandate was set to expire Friday, March 18. The TSA said in its statement that the decision was made in conjunction with a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It noted that it will "work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor." Any new decisions, the TSA said, "will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Passengers wear masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus as they arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport,, on January 22, 2020. MARK RALSTON/Getty Images CDC Dropping Nationwide Mask Recommendation with Most of the U.S. at 'Low or Medium' COVID Spread The mandate for transportation settings was first put forward in January 2021 by President Joe Biden. It had been extended multiple times and was set to expire later this month, The Washington Post reported. The move by the TSA comes after the CDC dropped its nationwide mask recommendation last month. The CDC now recommends leaving the decision up to local governments and advising only those with high COVID-19 transmission levels to retain their mask mandates. "We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low and then have the ability to reach for them again," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a press briefing in February. "Should things get worse in the future, we, as the CDC, will continue to follow the science and epidemiology to make public health recommendations and guidance." States and localities are able to continue mandating masks in public spaces. The CDC's guidance, though, can change if another variant emerges or if case rates go back up again. "COVID-19 community levels and public health prevention strategies can be dialed up when our communities are experiencing more severe disease and dialed down when things are more stable," Dr. Greta Massetti, from the CDC's COVID-19 Response Incident Management Team, said. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.