Face Coverings On Public Transit Now A Federal Mandate In Phoenix

Phoenix AZ

04 February, 2021

2:34 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Phoenix: February 2, 2021 Face Coverings on Public Transit Now a Federal Mandate February 2, 2021 1:30 PM On Jan. 21, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order requiring mask wearing on all modes of public transportation including intercity buses and trains. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order which requires people to wear masks while on all public transportation and conveyances (trains, airplanes, ferries, etc.) and at transportation hubs. On Jan. 31, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) released a security directive to implement President Biden's Executive Order and support enforcement of the CDC's Order with an effective start date of Feb. 1, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Since June 20, 2020, Phoenix Public Transit passengers have been required to wear face coverings in conjunction with local and regional declarations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This federal mandate takes precedence over previously enacted local actions. Riders are urged to plan ahead and bring their own face coverings before boarding any public transit. Riders also are required to properly wear the face covering according to CDC guidelines for their entire trip, including covering the face and nose. To assist transit passengers that do not have a face mask, Phoenix Public Transit will continue to provide free face coverings (as supplies allow) for riders at the following transit centers and libraries: • Transit Centers: Central Station, Ed Pastor, Metrocenter and Sunnyslope • Libraries: Burton Barr, Cesar Chavez, Desert Sage, Harmon, Palo Verde, Saguaro, Yucca The face-covering requirement applies to all people two years of age and older, on any public transit vehicle or at any public transit facility, including waiting areas and bus and light rail stops. Guidance from the CDC instructs public transit personnel to use best efforts to ensure that every person wears a mask when boarding, disembarking and for the duration of travel. Best efforts include: • Boarding only those persons who wear masks; • Instructing people that federal law requires wearing a mask on public transit and failure to comply constitutes a violation of federal law; • Monitoring persons onboard for anyone who is not wearing a mask; • At the earliest opportunity, disembarking any person who refuses to comply; and • Providing people with adequate notice to facilitate awareness and compliance of the requirement of the order to wear a mask. Read the detailed information on the President's Order and the CDC's Order, including definitions and instructions on wearing masks. This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author's own.