By Jack Pointer
Metro is the latest transit agency to announce that it is updating its mask policy following a federal judge’s order voiding the national mask mandate for people on board planes and public transit.
That mandate was set to expire Monday, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had extended it to May 3.
For now, both the Justice Department and the CDC have yet to say whether they’ll appeal the ruling. But the ruling from District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle comes amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases, driven by the BA.2 subvariant.
In D.C., cases have gone up by over 100% in the last week. Following the judge’s ruling earlier Monday, a Metro spokesman told WTOP that it will continue to require masks on trains, buses and in stations, as it waits for CDC guidance. Later Monday night, Metro said that effective immediately, masks are optional for customers on trains and buses, and also optional for employees.
“This change comes as a result of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) suspending enforcement, while the Biden Administration reviews a federal judge’s ruling,” Metro said in a statement.
“Our mask mandate has been based on federal guidance,” General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a statement.
The Virginia Railway Express told riders on Twitter that it’s aware of the development. Read more at WTOP.
