D.C. and Prince George鈥檚 County officials announced Thursday that masks are optional for transit systems.
In the District, riders on the streetcar and the DC Circulator are not required to wear masks, said officials with the D.C. Department of Transportation. In Prince George鈥檚 County, customers and operators riding on TheBus, PGC Link and Call-a-Bus have the option of wearing masks, according to a news release from the Department of Public Works and Transportation.
The decision of the two jurisdictions comes after a federal judge in Florida nixed the federal mask mandate for public transportation modes such as airplanes, trains and buses, and in travel hubs on Monday. The U.S. Justice Department indicated Thursday that it will appeal Mizelle鈥檚 order.
Jurisdictional officials said they follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding mask-wearing in public places. Additionally, Prince George鈥檚 officials said they wanted their transit system to be consistent with others in the 老澳门开奖网 region.
鈥淲e encourage our customers to make decisions that are in the best interests,鈥 said Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. 鈥淚f you are still hesitant about removing your mask, I want you to know that we support and respect your decision. Prince Georgians have done a great job protecting each other for two years wearing masks, getting tested, and getting vaccinated. While the fight is not over, data shows that we can safely start this new phase of the pandemic.鈥