Riders must wear masks on public transportation and in all transportation hubs under a new federal mandate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced.
“America’s transportation systems are essential,” CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky said in a news release. “Given how interconnected most transportation systems are across our nation and the world, when infected persons travel on public conveyances without wearing a mask and with others who are not wearing masks, the risk of interstate and international transmission can grow quickly.”
The move came after President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for “immediate action” regarding masks on public transportation. The new mandate applies to riders on airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares.
“We began requiring masks last July under our Ride With Respect Policy, after health officials stressed their importance in slowing the spread of COVID,” Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker said in a news release. “We are supportive of this federal mandate and grateful to our valued customers who continue to mask up, protecting themselves and others.”
