(WBBM NEWSRADIO) —The city of Chicago’s airports and public transportation system will no longer require travellers and passengers to wear masks, following a federal court ruling that has created a domino effect across the United States.
Officials with both the CTA and O’Hare and Midway airports on Tuesday afternoon said masks are now optional.
The new policy mirrors that of Metra, the suburban rail commuter agency, and the suburban bus network Pace, which also took their cues from Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker said he was lifting mask mandates on public transportation and at airports in Illinois, in the wake of a federal judge’s decision Monday that invalidated travel-related mask rules from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CTA officials stressed riders may continue wearing masks if they wish.
“While the city continues to see low levels of transmission of COVID-19, customers and employees who wish to continue wearing masks are encouraged to do so,” the CTA said in a statement. “We ask all customers to be courteous and respectful to fellow riders. We look forward to welcoming more Chicagoans back to the CTA as pandemic conditions continue to improve."
Earlier Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged the writing on the wall that masks would be optional, moving forward. Technically, Chicago, as a home rule entity, could have continued imposing stricter COVID-19 mitigations.
Lightfoot said she herself will continue wearing a mask when getting an airplane for the foreseeable future.
Pritzker said his administration will revise its executive order so that face coverings will no longer be required on public transit or airports.
“I continue to urge Illinoisans to follow CDC guidelines and, most importantly, get vaccinated to protect yourself and others,” Pritzker said in a news release.
Related
Related
