New CDC requirement mandates wearing masks on planes, public transit
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Jan. 29 that all passengers must wear a face mask while on public transportation, which includes airplanes, trains, buses, taxis and rideshares starting Feb. 2. Reuters first reported the news.
The CDC said that scientific evidence shows that “consistent and universal use of masks” on public transit will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, as over 430,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Airlines and many forms of public transportation already required face masks. But the new order gives more power to frontline workers like flight attendants who, at times, have struggled to get travelers to comply with mask-wearing.
The order says that public transportation operators (which includes crew, drivers, conductors, and ticket takers) can only let people who wear a mask board and must remove customers who don’t comply. Not wearing a mask is now a violation of federal law.
Children under 2 and people with disabilities who can’t wear a mask or cannot safely wear a mask for reasons related to the disability are exempt from the mandate.
Masks may be removed for “brief periods of time” while eating, drinking or taking medication, in addition to communicating with a person who is hearing impaired. Masks may also be removed to verify identities during Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening or when asked to do so by the ticket or gate agent or a law enforcement official.
Related: Mask mandate, mandatory quarantine: What Biden’s newest executive order means for you
U.S. airlines and unions have long supported a federal mask mandate on public transit during the pandemic, which the Trump administration opposed.
One of President Joe Biden’s first actions as president was to make wearing a mask mandatory while traveling domestically. President Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 21 requiring that masks be worn on “many” airplanes, trains, buses and during all interstate travel, calling mask-wearing a “patriotic duty.”
That order followed an executive order signed on Biden’s first day in office that required masks to be worn in all federal buildings and on federal land.
Featured photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.