Travel Mask Mandate Lifted: Milwaukee Airport, MCTS, Uber Affected

MILWAUKEE, WI — Wearing masks is no longer required while using many Milwaukee area transit agencies after a judge ordered the national travel mandate be lifted on Monday.

The Milwaukee County Transit System and General Mitchell International Airport won't require masks for the first time in months. National services like Uber and Amtrak have lifted their face covering policies as well.

The Transportation Security Administration won't require mask use on public transportation or transportation hubs like train stations and airports, the security agency said in a statement.

Here's what has changed in the Milwaukee area.

• The Milwaukee County Transit System no longer requires masks on buses as of Tuesday, agency spokesperson Anna Schryver told Patch. Buses will no longer give away free masks but it will still offer hand sanitizer.
• Masks are no longer required at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport after the TSA dropped its requirements, airport spokesperson Christie Green told Patch.
• Amtrak, which has stations in downtown City of Milwaukee and at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, has made wearing a face covering optional for employees and passengers when on trains or at stations, the agency said in a statement.
• Uber no longer requires masks for passengers or drivers, the company announced on Tuesday. Riders are no longer required to sit in the back seat.
• Lyft said masks are no longer required for everyone in the car, and canceling rides over health and safety options like wearing a mask is no longer an option in the app. The service said riders and drivers shouldn't use Lyft if they have COVID-19 or related symptoms.

Many airlines like JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have dropped masking rules as well.

See Also: These Airlines Drop COVID Mask Mandates, Leave It Up To Passengers

Florida federal Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle curbed the mandate on Monday in a 59-page decision and said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority, CNN reported.

The CDC still recommends wearing a mask when using public transportation after the organization said its order was "no longer in effect."

Mizelle's decision was "disappointing," and the Biden Administration's response was under review, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference Monday. The "Department of Justice would make any determination about litigation."

Wisconsin health experts saw a subtle rise in COVID-19 cases in April. It's well under the peak in January, but it's the "tipping point" for whether the new COVID-19 subvariant will have a significant effect in the Badger State, Milwaukee health adviser Dr. Ben Weston said.

See Also: Subtle, Steady Rise Of COVID-19 In Wisconsin: Health Data