Metro today announced that it will comply with the new L.A. County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Order requiring masks to be worn while riding public transit and when in indoor stations within L.A. County effective at 12:01 am, Friday, April 22, 2022. The LACDPH has determined that the mask requirement remains necessary to help ensure public health.
Earlier this week, mask wearing became optional but strongly encouraged on the Metro system. This was a decision following a federal court ruling in Florida that eliminated the federal mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes nationwide.
Metro will adhere to the new LACDPH executive order, as it has with all the County’s previous COVID-19 directives, which are intended to protect the health of employees and the traveling public. This order aligns with the most recent guidance issued by the CDC.
All transit riders using Metro Buses, trains and indoor stations will again be required to wear a face mask. The County’s new requirement will be reassessed when COVID-19 community transmission is moderate or when the CDC determines required masking on public transit is no longer needed or in 30 days, whichever occurs first.
Categories: Policy & Funding
Leave it to LA county to be a holdout on this… virtually the rest of the country has moved on from these mandates. This is basically theatre at this point.
I want to see an exhibit at Skirball Museum but they require all patrons MUST wear N95/KN95 or surgical mask be worn. Along with timed entrance and other protocols..Yet I can sit inside a restaurant or go to a super market and not be required to wear anything.
The LA Metro trains say it is required by “Federal Law”. The mask mandate is NOT a federal law so the recording is lying. Fauci just said today 04/27/22 that masking should be a personal choice now and we are out of the pandemic stage. It is complete crap that Newsom does not follow federal laws and the LA Metro is doing the same. I will NOT wear a mask for these lawless corporations.
Took the Red Line yesterday (Sunday) from Hollywood/Western to Union Station to hear jazz..Platform/train was filthy and disgusting. People mask up but don’t care what they touch: poles/seats/hand rails, etc..that has more bacteria ..Returned to the same gross mess on train. One man and his family who got on told his children not to touch anything…Good advice..
two steps forward, two steps backward
The Federal mandate is not longer in effect. The prerecord message states per Federal mandate not county of LA mandate. Cloth and surgery mast do not stop the spread of Covid as per the CDC. The health depart of LA do not have the authority to tell riders what they should do with there own health. The Metro should not be displaying that they support BLM or George Floyd on there trains. Public transportation should always stay out of politics.
Hi Dean;
We need to update some signage and messaging — and asking everyone’s patience while we do that.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Wearing masks has become a thing of the past in most environments and no longer appears to serve any purpose other than maintain an overhyped fear of COVID-19.
My opinion is that we should most certainly continue to practice caution in dealing with this virus, but without becoming outright paranoid about it. Eliminating the mask requirement on public transit very likely would attract many riders back to the system, especially considering the high gasoline prices.
I’m done with face-diaper recommendations. These bureaucrats need to be voted out or fired.
One more reason I’m not using public transportation in LA. I refuse to put a diaper on my face any more.
The word “required” is inaccurate because in my experience, face coverings have never been necessary to ride a bus or train. Moreover, a significant number of operators on buses I ride stopped wearing masks weeks ago and my frequent complaints to Customer Relations have been futile.
The people that made this decision have probably never been on public transport their whole lives unless they grew up in the hood! Unless it was for a photo opportunity.