The federal executive order of President Joe Biden will overrule the lifting statewide mask mandates from the governors of Texas and Mississippi. The President’s order will ensure that courthouses, airports, and public transit in those states continue to enforce mask-wearing. Point to be noted that a mask mandate for all federal property was one of the first executive orders Biden signed when he took office. The order included a mask mandate for all federal property, in airports, planes, ships, intercity buses, trains, and public transportation. The Biden administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have continued to plead with state and local officials to avoid reopening businesses and rescinding mask orders. However, some Republican governors have decided to loosen Covid-19 restrictions.
It is noteworthy that both Governor Greg Abbott of Texas and Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi announced on Tuesday that they would terminate the current in-place requirements. But residents planning to travel and appear in court will still be expected to wear a face covering. The METRO (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County) operates bus and light rail in Texas’ most populous county. The authority first started encouraging masks in April and implemented a mandate. It was approved by its board of directors in the month of June. The media director of the authority, Tracy Jackson said, “METRO has no plans at this time to drop the mask requirement for people riding our system. Passengers are still required to wear a mask on our transit system”.
She added, “We also offer free masks for those who may not have one. But in the very rare instances where a passenger may prefer not to wear a mask, we offer a smaller vehicle where they can ride solo”. Americans traveling through Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (the 10th busiest airport in the world) will be required to continue wearing facial coverings under the president’s order. The airport spokesperson Bill Begley said, “DFW Airport remains under a federal mandate requiring wearing a face mask at all times in airports”. The US health officials have encouraged Americans to not let up on masks wearing, even as cases begin to decline and vaccine rollouts continue to expand. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said, “Every individual is empowered to do the right thing here, regardless of what the states decide”.