The TSA has received more than 4,000 reports of face mask incidents since the requirement was mandated earlier this year
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- The TSA has received more than 4,000 reports of face mask incidents since February, according to The Washington Post.
- An agency spokesperson told the outlet that warning letters have been sent in just under 4,000 of those cases.
- On Thursday, Biden announced his administration would double the fine for travelers who refuse to wear a mask.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
The Transportation Security Administration has received reports of more than 4,000 face mask-related incidents since the COVID-19 mitigation requirement was implemented earlier this year, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
The federal agency, which oversees the security of US travel, has been tasked with enforcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal mask mandate on planes, trains, and public transportation, since it went into effect in February.
Among the more than 4,000 reported incidents in the last six-and-a-half months, the agency has sent warning letters in just under 4,000 of those instances, a spokesperson told The Post. The agency is also pursuing possible fines in 126 of the cases.
The TSA did not clarify whether the face mask incidents took place just in airports or in other transportation settings.
The newly-released numbers come just one day after President Joe Biden announced his administration would double the fine for travelers who refuse to wear their masks. Passengers who violate the mandate already faced fines starting at $250 and increasing up to $1,500 for repeat offenders.
Now, disobedient passengers will be hit with a minimum fine of $500 all the way up to $3,000 for maximum offenders.
These TSA penalties are different from the fines unruly passengers who disrupt flights might face, which are handled by the Federal Aviation Administration
This year alone, the Federal Aviation Agency has proposed more than $682,000 fines against unruly passengers - many of whom flouted the mask requirement. Insider previously reported that fights over face masks make up more than 75% of unruly passenger complaints.
The new TSA masking guidelines kicked into gear Friday.
After Biden's Thursday announcement, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement that doubling the range of penalties is a move meant to reinforce the importance of passengers' adherence to the rule.
"We appreciate the majority of travelers each day who voluntarily follow the requirement, but find this action necessary to maximize the protections for those who use and work within the transportation system, and to contain Covid-19," Pekoske said.
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