By WMAL.com

Following the U.S. Circuit Courts decision to repeal mask mandates on public transit the Metro is joining Amtrak and several airlines in repealing the mandates that have stood for nearly two years.

Public transit was the last major public setting that required masking, as all fifty states have moved to repeal mask mandates nationwide. The judge’s decision on Monday removed the decision-making power from the federal government to enforce mask mandates on public transit, including planes, buses, passenger trains and other modes of public transportation.

Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld weighed in on the decision, “our mask mandate has been based on federal guidance,” said Wiedefeld in a statement. “We will continue to monitor this situation as it unfolds, but masks will be optional on Metro property until further notice.”

While the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s decision to lift the mandate was agreed upon Tuesday, the New York subway system and San Francisco Bay area B.A.R.T. continue to enforce mask mandates on their trains.

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