Wearing a mask is now largely up to you, choose wisely

Whether you wear a mask while flying on a plane or when in restaurants, shops, offices and other indoor public spaces is now largely up to you.

Most states and cities dropped their masking requirements in February and early March following new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said at that time that with the virus in retreat, most Americans could safely take off their masks.  

Philadelphia lifted its mask mandate less than a week after it was reinstated due to a rising Covid-19 case count.

The city's Board of Health voted to rescind the mask mandate which went into effect last Monday, citing leveling numbers of cases and decreasing hospitalizations. The reversal also came after several businesses and residents filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s right to impose the mandate.  

Many will no longer be comfortable on public transportation now that face coverings are optional. Others are overjoyed that mask mandates are gone.

Some, undoubtedly are confused after receiving conflicting views from officials on when and where to wear masks.  

Last week, a federal judge in Florida struck down the national mask mandate for mass transit, leading airlines and airports to swiftly repeal their requirements that passengers wear face coverings. The Transportation Security Administration said that it would no longer enforce the mask requirement.

The CDC had recently extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire last Monday, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron sub-variant, which is now responsible for the vast majority of U.S. cases. But the court ruling last week had put that decision on hold.

The CDC said it will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine if a mandate would remain necessary. It said it believes the mandate is "a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health."

The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge's order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs.

Biden's administration has offered mixed messages in the wake of the judge’s ruling. While officials said Americans should heed the CDC's guidance even if it was no longer a requirement, Biden himself suggested they had more flexibility on masking-up during transit.

"That's up to them," said Biden the day after the judge’s ruling. The White House nonetheless continues to require face coverings for those traveling with him on Air Force One, citing guidance from the CDC.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden still is encouraging Americans to wear masks when traveling.

"People are not legally bound to wear masks," she said, after the court order. "So, it is a point in time where it is up to people - it is their choice, in that regard.

The abrupt end of the federal mask mandate for public transportation and an uptick in coronavirus cases across the country have left some Americans wondering: Should I still wear a mask in certain situations or places?

Because I’m vaccinated and boosted, I am not that anxious about being in public spaces with people who don’t wear masks.  

But I will continue to wear a mask (N-95s or KN-95s) when flying on a plane or when in large indoor public settings. 

My decision is based on studies that support the use of masks to reduce transmission of the coronavirus. The coronavirus is spread when an infected person expels tiny particles of virus into the air and someone else breathes those particles in. Masks work by erecting a barrier that can stop airborne virus particles from being inhaled by an uninfected person, and KN-95 and N-95 masks provide the best protection.

A study that looked at mask use in California found that people who reported always wearing a cloth mask in indoor public spaces last year were 56 percent less likely to test positive compared with people who did not wear masks. The protection grew to 66 percent for those who consistently wore surgical masks and to 83 percent for those wearing N-95 or KN-95 masks.

Masks offer another layer of protection as new variants evade vaccine-boosted immunity.

Some are more vulnerable to infections than others and should factor this into their decision making. It would appear to be advisable that senior citizens and those with a compromised immune system should wear masks in large indoor public settings in an abundance of caution. Still, the decision is left up to the individual. Each person has a different comfort level. This does not need to be politicized any further than it has already been. 

We should respect each other’s decision on mask wearing as we try to return to normal.

The Randolph Report is a weekly newsletter on politics, culture, current events and professional development relevant to Black Americans, co-produced by Irv Randolph, an award-winning journalist and Carlotta Daniels-Randolph, writer, educator and career and life coach. Sign up for free to receive new articles delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning.