Freight forwarders, cargo security companies, truck drivers and warehouse operators are also covered by a new face mask mandate on commercial travel when they are on airport or seaport property, according to agencies implementing the rule.
The Transportation Security Administration on Monday issued a security directive to airport operators saying it will enforce the weekend order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that persons entering or on a transportation hub wear a mask. President Joe Biden instructed agencies to require mask wearing for domestic and international travel to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, but the rules also apply to airports, seaports and border crossings.
Solo truck drivers operating over-the-road are exempt from the CDC mask requirement.
Operators of transportation hubs are required to ensure that people entering or on their premises wear a mask. Those who fail to comply may be removed and denied reentry, the TSA directive said.
Individuals who refuse to wear a mask may be subject to federal penalties.
The document tells airports to ask individuals to put a mask on and escort them from the property if they refuse.
The Airforwarders Association on Sunday advised members to expect more workplace regulations related to the COVID-19 outbreak from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in response to the president’s Jan. 21 executive order on protecting worker health and safety.
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