Face masks are now optional for Uber customers and drivers in the United States, the company said Tuesday, shortly after several major airlines announced a similar policy change.
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“The CDC mandate requiring masks when using rideshare platforms like Uber is no longer in effect, and we have revised our COVID-19 mask and front seat policies accordingly,” Uber wrote in emails sent to users on Tuesday.
Uber will no longer require customers to sit in the back seats of vehicles, but has asked riders to refrain from using the front seats unless there are multiple people in which case someone will be forced to sit in the front.
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Uber also says that some people feel safer wearing a mask “due to personal or family health conditions,” so drivers and customers should respect each other’s preferences.
The change comes after a federal judge in Florida ruled Monday that the CDC overstepped its authority to require masks on planes and other public transportation . The Transportation Security Administration will no longer enforce masks on public transportation, and airlines including United, Delta and Alaska have said they will stop requiring masks. And Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) has made masks optional.
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Masks may still be required by law in some jurisdictions, Uber's email said, and in those areas local regulations will apply.
Source of information: edition.cnn.com
