Connecticut drops face mask mandate on buses, 2 rail lines

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Connecticut Division of Transportation introduced Wednesday it’s making face masks elective on buses and commuter rail strains after the federal Transportation Safety Administration this week ended enforcement of a masks mandate.

The nation’s federal masks mandate on public transit ended after a federal choose in Florida dominated Monday struck down the requirement on airplanes and mass transit. However the Justice Division, on the request of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, filed an enchantment on Wednesday, looking for to overturn the choose’s order.

“For the final two years, our transit operators have offered masks to the general public and enforced masks mandates on public transit,” DOT Deputy Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto stated in a written assertion. “Now that the federal masks mandate for public transit is now not in impact, masking will now not be enforced, however remains to be strongly inspired per present CDC tips.”

Masks will now be elective on CTtransit buses, the Hartford Line and Shore Line East commuter rail companies in addition to all transportation services in Connecticut. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, nonetheless, remains to be requiring masks on Metro North’s New Haven Line.