This is a mandate that has been in force since just afterjoe biden took office, february of last year. it has been extended several times and as you mentioned again for the next couple of weeks, that s likely because of the new variants that have emerged. there are rising numbers of infections around the united states, not huge numbers but it is on the increase and that has raised concerns. the city of philadelphia for example has just reintroduced co ntroversially just reintroduced controversially its mandate, its mask wearing mandate, for inside public buildings but generally that is going against the trend in most mandates have been lifted and it seems as if, that it does not apply to airports, two taxis, trains, the subway systems and to ride sharing services like uber. it sharing services like uber. it does seem to get ever harder to reinstitute the sort of