Topline
Uber will no longer require passengers or drivers to wear masks during rides, the company said on Tuesday, a day after a federal judge threw out the federal government’s mandate requiring masks on airplanes, trains and other public transportation and after several major airline companies ditched the requirement as well.
A man wears a mask while driving a car during the coronavirus pandemic.
Key Facts
Although passengers and drivers are no longer required to wear a face covering, Uber urged customers to be “respectful” of those who still choose to wear one.
Uber in a statement noted that the Centers for Disease Control still recommends wearing a mask if someone is more vulnerable to Covid-19 or if there are high levels of transmission in the area.
Riders are also once again allowed to sit in the front seat if their group is too large to fit in the back.
What To Watch For
Other companies to follow. Lyft’s mask mandate remained in place as of Tuesday morning, while several major airline companies have chosen to lift the requirement this week.
Key Background
Uber had already dropped its mask mandate in some other countries, including the United Kingdom. The U.S. decision comes after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled on Monday the transportation mask mandate was unlawful and sent it back to the CDC for “further proceedings.” The Biden administration had just decided to extend the public transportation mask mandate for two weeks amid a rise in Covid-19 cases across the country linked to the highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron variant. Mizelle said the CDC did not have authority to impose the mask mandate under the Public Health Services Act of 1944 and called the agency’s reasoning behind the requirement “arbitrary and capricious.” Shortly after the ruling was made, the Transportation Security Administration said it would no longer enforce the mandate on public transportation, and United, Delta, Southwest and Alaska airlines announced masks would no longer be mandatory on domestic flights.
Further Reading
Judge Declares Federal Public Transportation Mask Mandate Unlawful (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/04/19/uber-abandons-mask-mandate-for-riders-and-drivers/