The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its mask requirements for vaccinated individuals in outdoor areas on the premises of transportation hubs. This guidance comes in response to ongoing discussions between industry groups and federal agencies, the National Air Transportation Association said.
NATA stressed that the guidance is only for fully vaccinated individuals, noting the CDC continues to call for masks of unvaccinated individuals at transportation hubs, whether indoors or outdoors. “Outdoors” refers to any open-air area, NATA advised. Aircraft operators, however, must continue to require all people on board to wear a mask, including during boarding and disembarking, as well as for the duration of travel.
The CDC, which is requesting that federal partners and state and local entities adopt a similar approach, will continue to evaluate the requirements to determine whether additional changes are warranted, NATA added. This move is designed to better align its mask policies, the CDC said.