U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the Transportation Security Administration’s extension of the mask mandate through January 2022:

“Extending the federal mask mandate for travel makes sense for the current health environment and has the travel industry’s full support.

“The universal wearing of masks in airports and on airplanes, trains and other forms of public transportation is both an effective safeguard against spreading the virus and boosts public confidence in traveling—both of which are paramount for a sustained economic recovery.”