(Image: Metro)
A decision from a federal judge in Florida striking down federal requirements for masking on airlines and public transportation has put King County Metro and Sound Transit in the challenging position of trying to protect its workers and riders amid rapid changes across the national transportation system.
UPDATE 10:58 AM: In a joint announcement, Puget Sound area transit agencies including Metro and Sound Transit announced they are also quickly transitioning to make masks optional:
Face coverings no longer required on transit and in transit facilities in Puget Sound region
In accordance with yesterday’s statement from the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA), agencies providing transit to riders throughout the Puget Sound region announced that face coverings will no longer be required on transit, at transit facilities or in transit hubs effective today.
Participating in this announcement are the following agencies:
- Community Transit
- Everett Transit
- King County Metro
- Kitsap Transit
- Pierce Transit
- Seattle Department of Transportation (Seattle Streetcar)
- Seattle Center Monorail
- Sound Transit
TSA’s initial face mask requirement went into effect on February 1, 2021. Previous to the TSA requirement, Washington state and local health authorities had issued mandates for face coverings in public spaces.
While masks are no longer required on transit, riders are welcome to continue wearing face coverings if they wish. Please understand it will take time to update all of the announcements, signs, and other communications related to the federal mask mandate.
Original report: “While a federal judge in Florida ruled against the transit mask mandate, there may be an appeal from the Justice Department that could lead to a delay in implementation, or for the decision to be altered or overruled,” Metro said in an announcement on the situation. “In the meantime, Metro’s mask mandate remains in effect.”
Even if the requirement is lifted, Metro said it will continue to encourage masking and will continue to provide free masks to riders.
Other systems were quick to drop requirements after the Transportation Security Administration said Monday it would not longer mandate masking making the covering optional on flights and at airports including Seattle-Tacoma International.
The Washington State Department of Transportation also lifted the requirements on its ferry system, officials announced.
The change for transit and travel comes as Seattle health officials have made recommendations amid a slow but steady spring rise in COVID-19 cases: Keep boosting, please mask, and seek fresh air, officials say.
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Woohoo! COVID-19 for everyone! Thanks, transit agencies!
TSA has spoken! Shoes off, leave your nail clippers at home, put your shampoo in tiny bottles, hope you’re not blacklisted, and spread your respiratory droplets far and wide! Free at last!
Fuck
Terrible news. We shouldn’t be following Florida’s lead on anything, especially if it’s health-related. (The chief public health official in that state is even opposed to Covid vaccines for children. Not neutral, opposed!) And it’s inevitable that without a mandatory mask rule on buses and trains there will be more harassment aimed at mask-wearers, particularly women.