Here's Where You'll Still Have To Wear A Mask—Despite Mandates Going Away - Forbes

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Topline

Cities, states and businesses are shedding their mask mandates at a blistering pace after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance that vaccinated people could safely go without face coverings in most situations, but in many places across the country, you’ll still need to wear a mask for a good while longer.

Key Facts

Masks are required on all U.S. airplanes, buses, taxis and trains—even in states that have dropped their face covering orders—under a CDC order that was extended until mid-September.

The CDC directive extends to ride-sharing platforms like Lyft and Uber, which reiterated to Forbes in a statement Tuesday that “drivers and riders who repeatedly violate” its mask policy would “risk losing access” to the platform.

Masks are still required in high-risk settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, jails and homeless shelters—per CDC guidance—along with national parks, courthouses and post offices, which all fall under the federal government’s purview.

Most public school systems still require masks, though some states, such as Texas, have moved to bar towns from doing so, while colleges and universities are split when it comes to ending mask mandates.

Most states have eased capacity restrictions on churches, but many places of worship will continue to require masks—such as all churches within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and many in the city of Nashville.

Many stadiums are still requiring masks, including Fenway Park in Boston and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., though some are moving to allow fans with proof of vaccination the option to not wear a face covering.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York told Forbes Tuesday that it “will continue to require all visitors and staff to wear masks,” joining a host of other museums and galleries—including the Smithsonian—that require face coverings, sometimes because of state requirements.

Face coverings are still required at Disneyland due to California’s mask mandate, while in Florida, which has none, Disneyworld has made face coverings “optional” outdoors.

Some states that have eased mask restrictions still require face coverings to be worn at government agencies like the DMV, including in Oregon.

Tangent

Most big-box stores have moved to end mask mandates, though some large chains are keeping face covering orders intact for now, including JCPenney, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Dollar General and HomeGoods. Grocery store chains Kroger and Giant Eagle both still require masks. Some national restaurant chains still have mask mandates in place, like McDonald’s.

Key Background

Health officials have acknowledged the new CDC guidance relies on the honor system, as no current nationwide system exists to identify whether someone has been vaccinated. Asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper how businesses are “supposed to know if the people coming to their establishment” are vaccinated during an interview earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci responded, "Well, Jake, they will not be able to know. You’re gonna be depending on people being honest enough to say whether they are vaccinated or not.” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has maintained the new guidance is a “first step” and the agency would soon come out with more information about how “individual settings” can respond.

Crucial Quote

Defending his decision to keep a statewide mask mandate in place earlier this week, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) noted that the government can’t check “anyone’s vaccine status” when they go to the “supermarket or a hardware store.” “I don’t know how we can expect workers to be able to tell who is vaccinated from who isn’t, and it is unfair to put the burden on business owners and front-line employees to police every patron,” Murphy added.