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Now that most cities are back open, many travelers are ready to get back in the air and visit their favorite tourist destinations.
We understand how hard it’s been to be shut in the house for months on end, but with some much information being thrown at us, it’s hard to dig through all of the minutiae to get to the truth about traveling during COVID-19.
For starters, not all states are 100% open yet and the majority are still enforcing the mask mandate.
As of today, 33 states are still requiring citizens to wear masks. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also have mask orders in place. Only six states have lifted the mask mandate, including Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
According to a report by AARP, several new states are set to stop the mask mandate in the first half of April.
As for those traveling from these various states, all airlines are still requiring everyone to wear masks and will be issuing fines to violators.
Fines for not adhering to the mandate will start at $250 increase to as much as $1500 for repeat offenders.
Delta Air Lines has already banned over 950 people for violating its mask rule that went into effect on February 1, 2021.
“Based on substantial aggravating or mitigating factors, TSA may seek a sanction amount that falls outside these ranges,” the agency said.
The travel mask mandate has been in place since January and applies to all motives of transportation, including, trains, buses and rideshares.
If you do decide to travel, you should note that all passengers 2 and older must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test – no more than 72 hours old – to enter the United States. That includes US citizens returning from trips to other countries.