On Monday, a federal judge in Florida ruled the CDC’s mask order on public transit and planes was “unlawful.” The court decision led to an end to masking requirements on major airlines, Uber, Lyft, trains, and buses nationwide.
But some cities are holding out, continuing to require masks on their transit networks. Philadelphia has reinstated its general indoor mask mandate. Here are a few public places masks are still required.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the U.S.’ largest city transit network, will still require that passengers and staff mask up while riding subways, commuter rail, paratransit, and buses, or while waiting at indoor bus and subway stops.
On Monday night, the MTA’s communications director, Tim Minton, said in a tweet that, “masks continue to be required on NY public transit for now, pursuant to NYS Health Department determination.”
MTA commuter trains includes the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Staten Island Railway. The MTA’s announcement stood in contrast to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s tweet declaring that NJ Transit, a system used by many to commute back and forth to jobs in New York City, would no longer require masks.
While you’re in New York, if you opt to see live theater on Broadway, you’ll still need to wear a mask there too. Broadway theaters welcomed audiences back in September 2021 with masks required, and all 41 Broadway theaters have extended their mask requirements for audience members (not performers!) until at least May 31.
The Broadway League, the trade organization for the Broadway theater industry, said on its website that an announcement reassessing and updating the mask requirement will be made sometime in May.
Covid-19 cases among high profile actors like Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Matthew Broderick have put multiple shows on hold in the past few weeks.
LA Metro, which runs the city’s buses and six metro rail lines, announced in a Tuesday morning tweet that masks would still be required within the system.
“We’re continuing to ask riders to please wear masks on our system. We are aware of yesterday’s court ruling and we’re waiting for further guidance from the federal government,” the tweet stated.
In a statement on its website, LA Metro further said, “Per federal law face masks are still required to ride on all buses and trains.”
Similar to New York City, Chicago’s rapid transit system, commuter rail, and buses will still require masks.
WTTW Chicago, the city’s Public Broadcasting Service member station, reported that Chicago’s public health commissioner, Allison Arwady, addressed the mask issue in a Tuesday morning online Q&A. Ardway said an executive order issued by the Governor would remain in effect until April 30, according to WTTW.
The masking requirement covers “L” trains, Pace buses, and Metra commuter rail. However the South Shore Line, which runs from Chicago into Indiana and is operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, will no longer require masks, according to a statement on their website.
The City of Brotherly Love re-instated masks for public, indoor spaces beginning Monday, April 18. The requirement came in response to the city’s rising levels of covid-19 infection. The city had ended its previous mask mandate on March 2. Philly has so far been the first major city to reinstate masks following the rapid decline of the first Omicron wave.
However, SEPTA, the city’s transit provider, announced on Monday night that it would no longer require masks in a tweet, as the Philly-wide mandate doesn’t cover transportation.
Philadelphia has a policy in place that automatically triggers different levels of restrictions and precautions dependent on the average number of new daily coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and the 10-day percent change in case levels. If covid levels continue to rise in, for instance, Philadelphia may reintroduce vaccine card requirements to dine indoors as well.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which serves Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Charlestown, Medford, and Somerville, is still requiring masks on “T” trains, commuter rail, trolley systems, buses, ferries, and stations and stops, according to tweets from MBTA on Monday and Tuesday.
However, a few hours after the latest tweet, CBS Boston reported that an unnamed transportation source said masks will no longer be required on MBTA buses and trains. For now, the fate of Boston’s transit mask requirement seems unclear.
The Massachusetts Steamship Authority, which runs ferries from Cape Cod to the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, will still require masks, according to a tweet from the ferry service provider.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced via a series of tweets on Monday that it would continue to require masks on Muni metro rail, rapid buses, cable cars, streetcars, and shuttles.
However, the Bay Area Rapid Transit network of trains, or BART, will no longer be enforcing its masking policy, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle. The transit agency has not yet announced a formal mask policy update, but the Chronicle reported that BART police officers have been instructed by their superiors to stop telling people to put masks or face coverings on.
Hospital systems across the country have issued mixed responses to Monday’s federal ruling. A number of hospital and nursing home chains have announced that they will continue to require masks for visitors.
For instance, United Health Services in New York still mandates masking in its hospitals, nursing homes, home care settings, and physician practices across the state. And officials at major hospitals in Connecticut, including Hartford HealthCare, Yale New Haven Health, and Trinity Health of New England, said on Monday that they will do the same, according to a Hartford Courant report.
However, other hospitals, like Houston Methodist in Texas, have started to revoke mask requirements. For accurate information on mask rules at your local hospital or healthcare provider, check with them directly.
Regardless of local changes in mask policies, masks still remain effective at helping to reduce the spread of covid-19 and other illnesses.