CDC Reiterates Masking Up on Public Transportation

Despite recent legislation lifting mask mandates on public transportation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week repeated its recommendation that everyone age 2 or older wear a properly fitting mask or respirator on public transportation. From workers commuting on trains to vacationers traveling on planes, the CDC says wearing a mask over the nose and mouth will protect the wearers and those around them from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The recommendation extends to both travelers and transportation workers while on all forms of public transportation as well as in transportation hubs such as airports, train stations, etc.

According to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the recommendation is based on the currently available data, including an understanding of domestic and global epidemiology, circulating variants and their impact on disease severity and vaccine effectiveness, current trends in COVID-19 Community Levels within the United States, and projections of COVID-19 trends in the coming months.