Washington: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order which will make wearing of masks on planes and other public transportation mandatory across the country in a latest attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The order is set to come into effect on Monday night, The Hill news website reported on Saturday.
The CDC measure will require the wearing of masks at bus terminals, airports, train stations, subway stops, taxis and also while using ride-hailing services.
“People must wear masks that cover both the mouth and nose when awaiting, boarding, traveling on, or disembarking public conveyances. People must also wear masks when entering or on the premises of a transportation hub in the US,” The Hill news website quoted the CDC as saying in a statement.
Failure to wear the masks in the designated spaces will result in a violation of federal law.
A day after his inauguration, President Joe Biden on January 21 issued an executive orderdirecting federal agencies to “immediately take action” to mandate the use of masks in airports, trains, intercity bus services and public maritime vessels such as ferries.
The CDC order comes as the US continues to see thousands of new cases of the coronavirus each day, as well as deaths.
In its latest update on Sunday morning, the Johns Hopkins University revealed that the overall caseload and death toll in the US, currently the worst-hit country in the world stood at 26,067,807 and 439,420, respectively.
