I'm scared about NJ, NY, CA and other states will getting huge spike by September....because Delta variant will getting worse soon in Northeast and California by fall/winter. So they will never lift restrictions for public transportation by September 13th.
Sorry but if the reason for lifting a mandate is because staff have been assaulted and it’s only going to get worse doesn’t that mean that the non compliant have won and sends a message that violence changes policy?
Or that the pandemic is in a better place and there is no need for it anymore. They didn’t win, the FDA is fining and airlines are banning the morons, but it gets to be deminishing returns when numbers remain low.
I don’t think the DOT has the authority to do that. If they give control to states to mandate their own rules then they can’t do it for only some stares. So they could leave it up to states but if that occurred they lose all control and then states with higher covid levels will drop masks anyway. If it was left up to states do you think the states that never had mask mandates will not require masks on transit.
So NJ Transit will may drop mask mandate soon?
Yes. Yeehaw!
Why would you say this?
What a baseless assertion.
No, I don’t. But I also wonder what local enforcement is like, anyway, in those areas. I’m sure it varies, and I’m not a transit user here. I do see our city bus drivers wearing them on their chins.
Their employer has to give them the day off with pay if they need it (including the day after for recovery.) They will be reimbursed via the Federal government through tax credits.
Eventually, yes. Hopefully by September we’re there nationally. Seeing what’s going on around me locally (new county spike might be materializing), I have my doubts.
It's already at diminishing returns because, due to the air filtration rate and exchange with fresh air, airplanes are not a high risk of COVID spread to start with. Very little, if any spread was traced back to airplanes at the beginning of the pandemic, before travel restrictions or mask requirements.
One piece of science that so many of the "follow the science" folks never seem to follow.
Really? This is the most asinine statement I have heard for a while.
There was also a time early in the pandemic where planes and airports were ghost towns. By the time appreciable air travel returned, mandates were in place. Now, with near-2019 passenger counts, it might be too soon.
At the current time there is no option to fly unmasked on United. I flew recently and several times the airline staff reminded us on the loudspeaker to keep our masks on with the exception of actively eating or drinking and non compliance would result in penalty fees, banned from flying the airline and arrest by law enforcement at the destination airport. There's no playing around.
No, it’s people were talking about different things.
Yep. I’m talking after whatever date marks the end of the mandate. I’ve enjoyed not catching crud on my small number of flights these last 15 months and will personally make the choice to continue. I don’t expect them to be mandated indefinitely, though.
If they are constantly snacking today, under current rules, you are at the same risk you'd be if they had no mask wearing rules. You could still wear your own mask at your own discretion, but if the blowhard eating their stroopwaffel won't shut up, their spittle can still find you as they are allowed to unmask while stuffing their big mouth.
