A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for domestic flights is not currently being considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Director Rochelle Walensky confirmed on Tuesday.
“Certainly, domestic flights has been a topic of conversation but that is not something we’re revisiting right now,” Walensky said on NPR when pressed on the issue.
Walensky also elaborated on the CDC’s decision to cut its recommended isolation time for infected Americans in half—from 10 days to five if they are asymptomatic.
“We are standing on the shoulders now of two years of science,” Walenksy told NPR of the new rules, explaining that “the vast majority of transmission occurs” around two days prior to the onset of symptoms and three days after.
“So in that five day window is really when that transmission is happening.”
Walensky acknowledged that although transmission can occur after the fifth day of isolation, the CDC made the decision to reduce its recommended isolation time for infected Americans because it anticipates a “really large” number of cases due to the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
“We also want to make sure that we keep the critical functions of society open and operating. We started to see challenges with that, with airline flights and other areas,” the CDC director explained.
Her remarks come a day after infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that the Biden administration should “seriously” consider vaccine requirements for domestic air travel.
Proof of vaccination is currently only required for noncitizens entering the United States, as well as a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of departure.
“If you’re making a requirement for vaccination for people to get on planes who are coming into the country, that’s understandable,” White House COVID-19 adviser Fauci told MSNBC on Dec. 27.
“You don’t want to bring more cases into the country. But if you’re talking about requiring vaccination to get on a plane domestically, that is just another one of the requirements that I think is reasonable to consider,” he added.
Fauci didn’t elaborate on why he believes a vaccine mandate for domestic flights would be a “reasonable” requirement.
“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated. If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered,” Fauci added.
Shortly later, Fauci clarified that he does not expect a mandate for domestic flights would be implemented by the Biden administration “in the reasonably foreseeable future.”
“It’s on the table, and we consider it, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” he told CNN.
He also appeared to walk back his remarks in a separate interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Monday.
“I did not say I support mandates on domestic flights. I said that is something on the table for consideration,” Fauci said.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden on Monday declined during a press briefing to comment on whether he favored such a mandate. Biden has previously said he does not consider it necessary to have a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel.
Domestic flights in the United States have taken a hit due to staffing issues amid rising COVID-19 cases, with flight cancellations continuing to cause holiday travel chaos nationwide. More than 1,000 flights were canceled by airlines on Monday amid a surge in cases caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Reprinted with permission from – The Epoch Times – By Isabel van Brugen
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“Vaccine mandates for domestic flights not currently being considered”. Of course that could change tomorrow. As much as I would like to believe our government, I wouldn’t trust any of them as far as I could throw them. And I would try to throw them really far. It will take a long time for our government to gain any respectability again. For those who are willing to put all their faith in the government, they are already lost and will continue to believe all the dark lies.
No one cares what Facci says. He has become a democrat mouthpiece
To this day, we still do not know where the Covid came from or understand anything that King Fauci is talking about or anyone else for that matter. Do we do this? Do we do that? Do we wear a mast indoors/outdoors? Do we stand 6 feet away? Do we stand 3 feet away?
Everyone is suffering from this damn thing and some lives are ruined. Let’s all sit down together and get some sense our of all of this now.
Falsey is responsible for and knows far more than he will ever be held accountable for. How tragic that he has remained in power. I would like to know how much he is being paid and how much he has personally benefited financially from this “vaccine”. He is part of the evil empire.
These clowns will say one thing and do the opposite the next day. Don’t believe anything they say. Their track record is clear. They are implementing increasing restrictions designed to move the US to totalitarianism. They are only limited by practicality, and what the courts will let them do. They will take advantage of any new panic as a pretext for new restrictions.
What about a vaccine mandate for illegals coming across our borders? Now there’s a reasonable mandate that is never mentioned by falsy, brandon or any of those other evil doers
Biden would need another trillion or so for that to take place. Of course finishing the wall would be cheaper but that wouldn’t align with the “agenda”.
Unfortunately, this monster is scary and we are still hiding from it. When this thing killed it’s first 100000 people we made every effort to produce a vaccine that could prevent us from dying from this monster. Nothing we had worked. We pushed for a vaccine as our only hope of survival. Do you remember who spearheaded this vaccine and pushed for it’s production and distribution? He assumed every American would get vaccinated and get the country back to rollin again. How did this become a political issue? Party lines have nothing to do with this, it’s about survival, getting people back to work. Get the shot, wear the mask and get back to work, pay your rent and pay your student loan payments. I’ve never seen something so simple get so complicated with non-sense.
How do u get people to work,when the govt. pays them not to work. ??? You only see one side of te problem.. Kyle L.
How about the meds that have been around for years that have been hidden from society by these evil doers. Hospitals, doctors and pharmacies are in cahoots (paid off for their participation). Money talks bs walks mentality. They don’t give one iota about the oath that they took upon receiving their degrees-positions. It’s time that the truth about all this evil comes out
Yes, when the government tries to suppress meds that have been proven to work, something doesn’t smell right. Once again, just follow the money.
Consensus science is not science. That is the first problem. Second, the vaccine doesn’t prevent anyone from getting COVID, nor does it prevent them from spreading it. It only increases their chances of survival. The third problem rests in the inability to question anything the regime demands. When did we arrive at a point in the US when we were not allowed to even mention all of the options for treatment? That is a huge problem for many Americans that leaves the consensus driven experts looking very untrustworthy.
And you seriously think none of this is about control?? This administration doesn’t care how many people get back to work, only how many people will be dependent on the government. Look at the actual facts that the CDC has come out with. Many people have actually died from taking this emergency “vaccine” and many more have serious lifetime injuries. They are only telling you what they want you to know. Put your faith in God, not this ridiculous government system.
The Democrats need to maintain the fear factor of Covid through the mid terms and beyond. So nothing is off the table, no matter what the head of the CDC just said. At the end of the day, Democrats require a public kept in a constant state of fear in order to ensure they can maintain control until they can enact the necessary legislation that ensures they no longer need to worry about elections again.
Spot on only then the miracle will happen and pandemic will be no more
Spot on !
I pray that never happens. I wish I never got the shots and booster and I am 68 years old with a variety of medical conditions. I was fine at the beginning of the virus and I really believe that I didn’t need those shots. I do wear a mask when I go into a store, but it is very hard for me to breathe and boy the time I get to the register, I am breathing so hard that they ask me if I would like to sit down. I may be wrong, but I have no idea what is in these vaccines, as they have not been around that long. I heard that now they want to start giving booster shots every year. No, thank you. I am tired of the government telling me what to do. Is our government putting heavy duty sanctions on China for releasing this virus, which the world knows that it was China.It is sad that we have to take these vaccines per the government or we will not be permitted to go anywhere.
Each vaccine type affects every person in a different way, some good and others bad. I know my wife who is 70, refuses to wear a mask because of her asthma condition and it sounds that you have the same condition. It has been proven through studies that the wearing of mask will not prevent you from getting COVID or any other virus for that matter. Everything that this administration puts out is nothing more than putting fear into the hearts and controlling the populace. I know that this virus got released through China but the USA is just as guilty since the research was sent from the USA to China under a previous Democrat administration.
By now, everyone has had enough time to discuss the risks of having covid, masking wearing and vaccine taking with their personal physician.
Based on those discussions, everyone should have enough information to decide for themselves whether or not to wear masks and/or get vaccinated.
People need to decide what they are going to do and stop being scared (but just don’t be crying for a vaccine when you’re in the hospital bed and the doctor is coming to put a ventilator down your throat).
Someone please explain to me whom elected the head of the CDC? These people think like dr. Fauci they are in charge. Time is way past for some retirments/jail time !!
CDC is not supposed to be POLITICAL but money, greed and power continue to rule so the truth will continue to be suppressed by the ELITE.
OK then end mask mandates on planes
Yes, I’m so sick of these mask mandates everywhere you go! Planes, hospitals, doctors offices, restaurants, stores, when you travel!
As long as the medical community bows down to the CDC and Fauci, mask mandates at medical facilities will be a thing for the foreseeable future! Unfortunately!
Bow down he!! They are in on it. Still get reimbursement for positive Covid numbers, ventilators, not to mention ventilator deaths reported. Wake up America!!