Masks remain required for nearly all passengers flying into, out of, or through the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, even though the U.S. agency says vaccinated individuals can go maskless in most other indoor situations.
“Right now, for travel, we are asking for people to continue to wear their masks,” said Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, per The Washington Post.
But Walensky hinted at upcoming changes to the travel rules, saying the CDC will “be looking at all of our guidance and updating all of our guidance, including our travel guidance.”
The U.S. mask mandate applies to all air, rail and bus travelers over the age of 2. The federal rule was issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and isn’t set to expire until mid-September.
“CDC’s updated guidance for fully vaccinated people continues to require that all travelers wear face masks on airplanes and at airports, and U.S. airlines will enforce the requirement on flights as long as the federal mandate is in place,” said Airlines for America, a trade group, per CNBC.
U.S. regulations on mask-wearing apply to flights to/from the United States and do not otherwise impact Costa Rica.
Costa Rica continues to require masks at airports and in most other indoor situations, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status.
The Central American country’s entry requirements during the pandemic also apply regardless of whether a traveler has been vaccinated.
