With new federal rules in place, what is Pierce Transit doing about its mask mandate?
Riders getting around Pierce County using Pierce Transit and Sound Transit buses and transportation facilities will no longer be required to wear face masks, the transportation agencies announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes after a federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit Monday, allowing airlines, airports and transit systems to make their own decisions about masking requirements, leading to a mishmash of different rules.
“While not required, Pierce Transit customers and employees are welcome to continue wearing masks if they choose, and Pierce Transit will continue dispensing masks onboard our vehicles for the foreseeable future,” spokesperson Rebecca Japhet said in an email.
Japhet said the transportation agency made the decision following the issuance of a Transportation Security Administration directive that said it would no longer enforce mask wearing. The CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
Pierce Transit is working on updating its signage and messaging on vehicles to align with the change, Japhet said.
Six other Puget Sound area transportation agencies, including Kitsap Transit and King County Metro, announced Tuesday that they would drop their mask requirements. They joined many major airlines and the Washington state ferry system in deciding to make masks optional.
Thurston County’s transit system, Intercity Transit, also said masks won’t be mandatory on vehicles and in their facilities.
Travelers at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will no longer be required to wear masks. Airlines that lifted their mask rules included Alaska, Delta, United, American, Southwest, JetBlue and Spirit.
Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft also recently dropped their mask rules for drivers and riders. Uber pointed to CDC recommendations that advise people with certain personal risk factors or high local transmission levels to continue to wear masks.
New cases of COVID-19 are still being reported in Pierce County. Last week, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported 496 new cases for April 6-12 and three new deaths. It said the number of weekly cases had risen over the previous three weeks.
Washington state still requires that masks be worn in healthcare and correctional facilities. People are required to wear face coverings at hospitals, dental offices and long term care settings.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
