As the spring semester comes to a close and Clemson students begin booking their trips home, travel plans may have gotten more comfortable for students who travel via public transportation.
As of April 18, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2021 order, requiring face coverings on public transportation and at transportation hubs, is no longer in effect.
The decision came from Florida’s U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle. Mizelle struck down the mask mandate for airplanes and other forms of public transit, calling it unlawful and declaring the national public health agency had exceeded its legal powers in issuing the directive.
In her ruling, Judge Mizelle found the CDC improperly invoked what is known as the “good cause exception,” which allows the agency to disregard public notice and comment on the mandate.
Following the updated rules and regulations of the April 18 ruling, airlines such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines announced that face coverings would no longer be required on domestic and specific international flights.
In addition to airplanes, buses, trains and private transportation companies, such as Uber and Lyft, have updated their mask-wearing policy in accordance with the ruling.
“You can now ride without a mask and use the front seat if you need to. While mask usage is still recommended, we’ve updated our Covid safety policies. Let’s move forward, safely together,” announced Uber.