LIRR Maintains Mask Mandates Despite Judge's Mass Transit Ruling

The MTA is sticking with its mask mandate for now, even after a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s face-covering requirement on airplanes and public transit nationwide.

The transit authority said that it intends to keep its mandate in place on its buses, subways, and commuter railroads for now, citing a March recommendation from the New York State Health Department recommending masks continue to be required in certain settings, such as public transit, even as the state has relaxed regulations elsewhere.

“The mask requirement on public transit in NY remains in effect for now pursuant to a March 2, 2022 determination by the New York State Department of Health,” said MTA spokesperson Tim Minton in a statement.

But even with the local mandate still in place, the ruling may serve to catalyze the gradual mask-shedding by Gotham straphangers that has been seen in recent months, even with the MTA plastering masking ads all over its trains and running consistent voice-over announcements reminding riders to wear a face-covering.

Federal Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the CDC’s nationwide mandate on April 18, arguing that the public health agency had overstepped its policymaking authority, just days after the mandate had been extended to May 3. Almost immediately after the ruling dropped, the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it would no longer enforce a mask mandate at the nation’s airports and transit hubs; numerous airlines also dropped their mask mandates, with some announcing the change mid-flight.

New Yorkers shouldn’t be so quick to shed their masks though; the Port Authority said Tuesday that masks are still required at its New York facilities, including JFK and LaGuardia Airports.

“The Port Authority will continue to follow the guidance of the New York and New Jersey public health authorities with respect to mask mandates at its public transportation facilities,” a Port Authority spokesperson said.

Cases have been on the rise across the New York Metro area over the past several weeks owing to the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, though still at nowhere near the levels seen during this winter’s surge.