{"id":416979,"date":"2022-03-16T01:34:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T22:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/tsas-just-extended-mask-mandate-has-never-made-any-sense\/"},"modified":"2022-03-16T01:34:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-15T22:34:23","slug":"tsas-just-extended-mask-mandate-has-never-made-any-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tsas-just-extended-mask-mandate-has-never-made-any-sense\/","title":{"rendered":"#TSA&#8217;s just-extended mask mandate has never made any sense"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39ba4deb877\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a39ba4deb877\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/tsas-just-extended-mask-mandate-has-never-made-any-sense\/#%E2%80%9CTSAs_just-extended_mask_mandate_has_never_made_any_sense%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;TSA&#8217;s just-extended mask mandate has never made any sense&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CTSAs_just-extended_mask_mandate_has_never_made_any_sense%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;TSA&#8217;s just-extended mask mandate has never made any sense&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<div class=\"inline-module inline-module--columnist inline-module--author\">\n<div class=\"inline-module--author__img\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"76\" height=\"69\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png?w=76&amp;h=69&amp;crop=1\" class=\"attachment-nyp_columnist size-nyp_columnist\" alt=\"Jacob Sullum\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png?w=152 152w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png?w=114 114w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png?w=76 76w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png?w=38 38w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/08\/author-jacob-sullum.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 76px) 100vw, 76px\"\/>       <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The federal rule that requires air <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>ers to wear face masks, which the Transportation Security Administration first imposed more than a year ago, was scheduled to expire this Friday. But the TSA\u00a0extended\u00a0the requirement for at least another month, for reasons even harder to understand than the original rationale for the mask mandate.<\/p>\n<p>That is saying a lot, because the scientific justification for the TSA\u2019s rule has always been weak, given that the conditions on airplanes are\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2021\/06\/01\/why-is-the-tsa-making-vaccinated-air-travelers-wear-masks\/\">not conducive<\/a>\u00a0to COVID-19 transmission. The ventilation systems on commercial aircraft, which mix outdoor air with air recycled through HEPA filters and limit airflow between rows, help explain why there were few outbreaks associated with commercial flights even before vaccines were available.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe risk of contracting COVID-19 during air travel is low,\u201d an October 2020\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2771435\">article<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0The Journal of the American Medical Association\u00a0noted. \u201cDespite substantial numbers of travelers, the number of suspected and confirmed cases of in-flight COVID-19 transmission between passengers around the world <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears small.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sebastian Hoehl, a researcher at the Institute for Medical Virology at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany, concurred in an interview with\u00a0Scientific American\u00a0the following month.\u00a0\u201cAn airplane cabin is probably one of the most secure conditions you can be in,\u201d he\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/evaluating-covid-risk-on-planes-trains-and-automobiles2\/\">observed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/gary-kelly.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Gary Kelly\" class=\"wp-image-21538466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/gary-kelly.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/gary-kelly.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/gary-kelly.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently testified that masks don\u2019t increase passengers\u2019 safety and that the cabin environment is already safe. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly\u00a0reiterated that point\u00a0during a Senate hearing in December. \u201cI think the case is very strong that masks don\u2019t add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is very safe and very high quality compared to any other indoor setting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>American Airlines CEO Doug Parker agreed. \u201cAn aircraft is the safest place you can be,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s true of all of our aircraft \u2014 they all have the same HEPA filters and airflow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Feb. 25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u00a0stopped\u00a0recommending <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> indoor masking in parts of the country it\u00a0rates\u00a0\u201clow\u201d or \u201cmedium\u201d risk, which as of last week\u00a0covered\u00a0more than 98% of the US population. According to the CDC, then, it is safe to dispense with masks in stores, churches, schools, bars and restaurants \u2014 environments where the risk of virus transmission is much higher than it is on airplanes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/american-airlines.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"American Airlines\" class=\"wp-image-21538475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/american-airlines.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/american-airlines.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/american-airlines.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said that an aircraft is the safest place you could be. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yet the TSA\u00a0said\u00a0it extended its mask rule \u201cat CDC\u2019s recommendation\u201d so the agency could develop \u201ca revised policy framework\u201d based on \u201cthe latest <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>.\u201d Mask rules for transportation are complicated, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki\u00a0said, because people are\u00a0\u201cmoving from one zone to another\u201d \u2014 an explanation that makes little sense when virtually the entire country is in the same \u201czone\u201d as far as the CDC\u2019s mask advice goes.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>The TSA\u2019s mask mandate has predictably led to\u00a0much unpleasantness, driving a surge in disputes between travelers and flight attendants. For every obnoxious passenger who\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2022\/02\/23\/world\/covid-19-tests-cases-vaccine#the-us-mask-mandate-for-air-travel-will-expire-next-month-but-some-flight-attendants-say-its-too-soon\">moons<\/a>, berates or\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBSNews\/status\/1398006148951838722?s=20\">assaults<\/a>\u00a0the mandate\u2019s enforcers, there are many others who quietly resent this thinly justified imposition, especially when it compels them to force masks on\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/travel\/americas\/child-asthma-mask-american-airline-b1921636.html\">recalcitrant toddlers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That expectation is especially difficult to justify since the risk to children from COVID-19 is\u00a0infinitesimal\u00a0even if they are not vaccinated \u2014 smaller than the risk of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2021\/10\/05\/could-mandating-vaccines-for-air-travelers-cost-more-lives-than-it-saves\/\">dying in a car crash<\/a>\u00a0if their parents decide to avoid mask hassles by driving instead of flying. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-traveler-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Masked woman air traveler\" class=\"wp-image-21538494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-traveler-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-traveler-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-traveler-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Mask mandates have caused a surge in passenger disputes on aircraft. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Adult travelers, meanwhile, can protect themselves by getting vaccinated and, if they are especially cautious, by\u00a0wearing\u00a0high-quality, well-fitting masks, regardless of what everyone else is doing.<\/p>\n<p>The Association of Flight Attendants nevertheless\u00a0urged\u00a0the TSA to retain the mask rule. The AFA\u2019s enthusiasm for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/search\/%22hygiene%20theater%22\/\">hygiene theater<\/a>\u00a0is of a piece with its enthusiasm for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2022\/01\/07\/airport-security-measures-are-popular-but-pointless\/\">security theater<\/a>: Back in 2005, when the TSA began letting passengers carry small scissors and short screwdrivers, the union\u00a0warned\u00a0that \u201cthe aisles will be running with blood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In that case, calmer heads prevailed. But more than two decades after 9\/11, US travelers are still saddled with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2021\/09\/09\/why-dont-more-countries-enforce-the-airport-security-rules-that-the-tsa-says-are-essential\/\">myriad nonsensical restrictions<\/a>. The mask rule is just the latest example.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-travelers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Masked travelers\" class=\"wp-image-21538524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-travelers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-travelers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/masked-travelers.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The TSA says it extended its mask mandate at the CDC\u2019s recommendation. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/15\/tsas-just-extended-mask-mandate-has-never-made-any-sense\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;TSA&#8217;s just-extended mask mandate has never made any sense&#8221; The federal rule that requires air travelers to wear face masks, which the Transportation Security Administration first imposed more than a year ago, was scheduled to expire this Friday. But the TSA\u00a0extended\u00a0the requirement for at least another month, for reasons even harder to understand than the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":416980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/newspress-collage-21536088-1647382901889.png?w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[126801,70996,1545,116860,79407],"class_list":["post-416979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3-15-22","tag-air-travel","tag-coronavirus","tag-mask-mandates","tag-tsa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}