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If you're heading home for the holidays this year and are flying out of Minnesota, you'll want to be sure and pack your mask.

Actually, come to think of it, you probably DON'T want to pack your mask if you're flying out of Rochester International Airport (RST) or the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP) or any other Minnesota airport this fall, because you'll still be required to WEAR a mask.

We'd heard earlier this year that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was set to let its existing mask mandate expire in September. That was the word when I flew down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina back in May when COVID cases were decreasing and life was good. Now, however, thanks to the increase in COVID cases due to (stop me if you've heard this one already)... the new Delta variant, the TSA has just issued a new mask order.

Okay, it actually just extended the current mask order, which was set to expire on September 13th, through January 18th, 2022. This means masks will be required for all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, on all flights in and out of Minnesota, right through the fall and including the holiday season.

According to this CBS News story, the TSA said extending the mask mandate is the right move.

"Extending the federal mask mandate for travel makes sense for the current health environment and has the travel industry's full support," U.S. Travel Association executive vice president of public affairs and policy Tori Emerson Barnes said in the story. "The universal wearing of masks in airports and on airplanes, trains and other forms of public transportation is both an effective safeguard against spreading the virus and boosts public confidence in traveling — both of which are paramount for a sustained economic recovery," CBS News noted.

Japan Extends Entry Ban To More Countries Amid Continuing Global Pandemic
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So,  yeah, get used to wearing that mask if you're heading to the friendly skies this fall in Minnesota. And while it's not actually a law, the TSA's mask mandate sure seems like one. And speaking of laws, keep scrolling to take a look at some major laws that were passed the same year you were born.

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LOOK: What major laws were passed the year you were born?

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

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