A judge struck down federal mask mandate. How that will impact your next flight, bus ride

A judge struck down a federal mask mandate Monday, ruling the CDC exceeded its authority in requiring Americans to wear masks while using public transportation.

Florida middle district judge Kathryn Mizelle’s ruling means Middle Georgians riding MTA buses won’t be required to wear masks, although transit officials still encourage riders to do so.

Masks are now optional for commercial airline pilots, crew and passengers as well.

“As a result, the mask mandate is best understood not as sanitation, but as an exercise of the CDC’s power to conditionally release individuals to travel despite concerns that they may spread a communicable disease,” Mizelle wrote in her ruling.

The mandate initially went into effect Feb. 1, 2021 and was extended by federal officials last week until May 3. The extension was intended to give officials time to evaluate the potential impact of the new omicron subvariant BA.2, which became the dominant strain of the virus in late March.

Impact on Macon

The Macon Transit Authority instituted a mask mandate in April 2020, well before the federal government.

Periodically Tuesday, an announcement came over the loudspeaker on the bus platform outside Terminal Station: “Attention riders: Masks are now optional.” Drivers and most riders still work them.

Larry Akins, who turned 69 Tuesday, said he plans to keep his mask on during bus rides and when he’s at work at a local grocery store.

His mask was decorated with Pittsburgh Steelers logos, just like his hat and the jacket he wore before boarding a Macon transit bus.

“It’ll seem funny not to wear the mask, you know?” he said. “They still got the pandemic out there. You could really still catch it without it being on.”

Stacey Taylor was already on a bus with about 20 other riders when he heard masks were optional. He alone whipped his off.

“I can’t hardly breathe,” he said. “And look here. I want to see who I’m looking at and who’s looking at me, you know?”

Deborah Wilder said she’s waiting for guidance from experts before removing her mask.

“Until they tell us that it’s safe, I’m not taking mine off,” she said. “ Until they say it’s safe, I prefer that they keep it on.”

‘The pandemic is not over’

Michael Hokanson, a spokesperson for the North Central Health District, said even though the federal mandate is no longer enforceable, health officials still recommend wearing a mask.

“This thought pattern happens every time we see dips in cases over the past couple of years, where people consider everything to be safe and just like that the situation can change,” Hokanson said. “We want to continue this trend of downward numbers but we want people to know that no, the pandemic is not over. COVID-19 is out there. There is not now or will there probably ever be a 100% you are completely safe from COVID-19.”

While the community spread for the counties in the NCHD, which includes Bibb and Houston counties, is low, that doesn’t not mean there are no new cases, hospitalizations or deaths. They’re just not as common as they were during pandemic peaks.

“The pandemic is not over. It is at a low degree but, just like before, we see these dips and these rises, so it is not something people should consider we are putting the tack on the calendar, this is the day pandemic is over,” Hokanson said. “We could see a complete 180 thinking about next week or next month or a couple of months down the road.”

Grant Blankenship with GPB News contributed interviews with MTA riders to this story.

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.