Federal mask extension for public transportation includes Springfield

Passengers board the SCAT buses at the central hub in downtown Springfield in 2017.

Passengers board the SCAT buses at the central hub in downtown Springfield in 2017.

Face mask requirements have been extended for public transportation, including Springfield City Area Transit (SCAT).

Springfield passengers will be required to wear those coverings through March 18, 2022. Face masks must cover the nose and mouth, and be worn on SCAT vehicles for the full duration of the trip, according to a news release sent by the city of Springfield on Monday.

The extension was implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

TSA’s initial face mask requirement went into effect Feb. 1 with an initial expiration date of May 11. It was first extended through Sept. 13 and then to Jan. 18, 2022.

Though the requirement has been extended, what passengers are required to do has stayed the same and falls in line with federal CDC guidelines.

More information can be found at transit.dot.gov/TransitMaskUp.

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