Masks no longer required on metro-east buses, trains. What about airports and airlines?
This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday to include information about MidAmerica Airport.
Masks will no longer be required on St. Louis regional public transportation, the area’s transit authority announced Monday night.
A federal judge struck down a national mask mandate on transit regulated by the Transportation Security Administration. The mandate went into place for airports, buses, trains and other public transportation in early 2021.
The CDC last week extended its mask mandate for public transportation until May 3, but the ruling from Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Florida left it up to local agencies and individual airlines to decide on their policies.
Metro Transit, the St. Louis region’s transportation agency, said it still encourages riders to follow guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC recommends masking indoors in public transportation settings.
But riders will no longer have to wear them on MetroBus, MetroLink or Call-A-Ride. Riders and employees may still continue to wear masks if they choose.
Masks were no longer required on Allegiant Air, which flies out of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.
“Should the guidance change, we will adjust our policy accordingly,” an airline spokesperson said in an email. “Passengers and employees still have the option to wear masks in airports and on aircraft if they so choose.”
MidAmerica will no longer require masks in its terminal building, according to airport director Bryan Johnson.
Masks were no longer required at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, according to an airport spokesman, though employees, passengers and visitors may continue to wear them if desired.
Some airlines also announced they were dropping their requirements: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest and United. Several of those airlines fly out of Lambert.
Cape Air, which operates flights from St. Louis, Chicago, Marion and Quincy, was no longer requiring masks as of Tuesday, according to the airline’s website.
Masks are no longer required on Amtrak trains, according to the passenger rail service.
The CDC also recommends masking indoors in public where there are high levels of COVID-19 spread. Levels in St. Clair and Madison counties were low as of Tuesday. They were also low in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, according to the CDC.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 10:42 AM.
