CDC order mandates masks for domestic travelers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an order requiring travelers in the United States to wear masks as part of a new initiative aimed at stemming outbreaks of the coronavirus.

According to the 11-page order issued Friday, travelers entering and transiting throughout the country will be required to wear face coverings, spanning all transit through airports, ship and ferry terminals, train and subway stations, as well as on buses, taxis and ride-hailing vehicles.

The order largely puts the onus on transit operators to enforce the rule. “Conveyance operators must use best efforts to ensure that any person on the conveyance wears a mask when boarding, disembarking and for the duration of travel,” the document said.

A similar order was proposed during the Trump administration, but the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by then-Vice President Mike Pence, blocked the effort.

The new mandate, which comes as the country surpassed 26 million cases, looks to ramp up the Biden administration’s efforts to bring the latest surge under control.

“Requiring masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic,” read the order, signed by Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. “Therefore, requiring masks will help us control this pandemic and aid in reopening America’s economy.”

A footnote in the order states that the center reserves the right to enforce the order “through criminal penalties.” But a spokesperson for the agency said that the order relied heavily on voluntary action to enforce the mandate.

“CDC strongly encourages and anticipates widespread voluntary compliance as well as support from other federal agencies in enforcing this order, to the extent permitted by law,” he said. “CDC will be assisted with implementation by other federal partners, including DHS and DOT,” referring to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation.

The mandate was hailed by public health officials as a necessary step to fix the patchwork of local regulations that at times have let travelers move freely without facial coverings, in spite of ample data showing that mask wearing is key to preventing the spread of the virus.