Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


US Issues Mask-Wearing Mandate

VOA News

   The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a
   mask-wearing mandate late Friday to apply on all forms of public
   transportation, part of the U.S. effort to combat the spread of the
   coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease.

   The order, which goes into effect Monday (at 11:59 p.m. EST, 4:59 GMT
   Tuesday), requires people to wear masks "while boarding, disembarking,
   and traveling on any conveyance into or within the United States," and
   "at any transportation hub that provides transportation within the
   United States."

   The order said: ""Requiring masks on our transportation systems will
   protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel
   safely even during this pandemic."

   Also Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed an extension to
   an order that was scheduled to expire Sunday concerning evictions for
   failure to pay rent or mortgage payments.

   The CDC director said in a statement, "The COVID-19 pandemic has
   presented a historic threat to our nation's health. Despite extensive
   mitigation efforts, COVID-19 continues to spread in America at a
   concerning pace. The pandemic has also exacerbated underlying issues of
   housing insecurity for many Americans. Keeping people in their homes
   and out of congregate settings, like shelters, is a key step in helping
   to stop the spread of COVID-19."

   As the number of COVID-19 infections continues to climb and highly
   contagious variants of the virus have emerged, some countries are
   imposing new travel restrictions.

.