So you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19.
That’s awesome news—but for now, so is continuing to wear a mask or cloth face covering when you travel by plane.
At the airport and during your flight, it’s imperative that you continue to protect yourself and others from the virus. Here’s why.
A Federal Mandate
In public transportation settings, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asks passengers to continue to mask up—regardless of their vaccination status.
For air travel specifically, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently extended its national mask mandate through September 13. Since the rule is federal, it trumps any individual state guidelines that may be in place.
Basically, public health officials are urging Americans to continue to be careful. Because as appealing as removing your mask may sound, we’re not out of the woods yet.
Unruly Passengers
Brace yourself—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has documented over 3,000 reports of unruly passengers through mid-June this year.
In 2021 so far, there are 487 incidents in total—more than any other year since the FAA began keeping track of problem behavior in 1995—and $563,800 in proposed fines.
Can you guess what many of these incidents had in common?
That’s right: People refusing to mask up at a U.S. airport or on the plane.
Airplanes Are Higher-Risk Environments for COVID-19
While vaccination can certainly, and extensively, help to protect people from COVID-19, transmission is still possible. And planes are higher-risk environments, as passengers typically sit in close proximity to one another over an extended period of time.
Here’s the thing: In a restaurant, you generally breathe in the direction of your own party, and you only stay in the space for about an hour. On planes, however, it’s highly likely your seatmate will be a stranger. Additionally, the vast majority of flights are longer than an hour.
The longer the flight, the higher the risk of transmitting—or contracting—the virus. So for now, protect yourself and those in your surroundings, and continue to mask up.
Have questions? Our team has you covered. Please contact us for more information on what Umbrella Security Services can do for your business.
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