Uber, Lyft drop mask requirements

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

Passengers are no longer required to wear masks while riding with Uber or Lyft in the U.S., the companies announced Tuesday.

The decision to lift the requirement comes a day after a federal judge struck down the federal government’s mask mandate for planes, trains and buses.

“You can now ride without a mask and use the front seat if you need to,” Uber said in a statement. “While mask usage is still recommended, we’ve updated our Covid Safety policies.”

Uber’s safety landing page encourages riders and drivers to “roll down the windows for extra airflow, sanitize your hands before and after trips or deliveries, and always cover your cough or sneeze.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3272785-uber-lyft-drop-mask-requirements/

[Blues Heron]

1. all these moves are an experiment with only one likely outcome

They do nothing to help, only hurt.

[hueymahl]

2. Helps the bottom line

[Blues Heron]

7. I meant in a public health context - this will do nothing to reduce the spread to say the least

[hueymahl]

8. I guess the question is at what point is it safe to get rid of masks?

All of life is a balance between risks.

[Blues Heron]

11. Id say at the beginning of a new wave is not the optimal time to do that.

On the other hand, the UK wave was only a third as bad as their previous, so maybe ours will be similar or less? (in case counts that is - I think hospitalizations were just as bad as the previous wave)

[hueymahl]

13. We will see

no evidence yet that this wave will cause any statistically significant rise in deaths or harm.

Glad to see that the vaccinations and naturally acquired immunity is finally kicking in.

[Blues Heron]

16. already the CDC is reporting a rise in hospitalizations- up 5 percent from the prev week

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#new-hospital-admissions

1520/day avg. from 4/11 to 4/17

Up from

1440/day avg. from 4/4 to 4/10

[StopTheRight2024]

3. I will not comply

I'll be wearing a mask regardless of what some judge says! Judges are not doctors the last time I checked!

[brooklynite]

4. How do you "comply" with a non-regulation.

You can wear a mask or not; just like you could before COVID.

[Tarc]

5. Lol, you really didn't think that one through, did ya?

You can wear a mask from now til the End Times, that's your choice. Places like airlines and Uber just no longer require it.

[Rebl2]

12. Same here

[IronLionZion]

6. I took Lyft this morning fully masked, so was the driver

and took a bus back, fully masked so were all passengers and the driver. Although my colleagues who took metro said many were not masked.

I would still mask of course but I might also avoid crowded areas with unmasked people as much as I can.

[hueymahl]

9. And that is your right

Now it is the law of the land that others can choose differently.

[gldstwmn]

15. I bet Clarence Thomas's law clerk is really proud of herself.

[targetpractice]

10. I caught COVID the first time in an Uber...

... The driver was a nurse's assistant in a COVID ward in May 2020 to make extra money. She told me this AFTER the trip. 5 days later... BAM!

So, I'll continue to wear my mask.

[Rebl2]

14. I am

surprised they can make an Uber or Lyft driver follow these rules. Don’t they use their own vehicle? I would say you are the king of your car and you can make a person wear a mask if they want to ride with you. Guess I would be wrong.

[keopeli]

17. I'm stunned how one 34 year old judge in Florida that is a MAGAT can reverse all the scientists in

the CDC, FDA, and HHSA. How does that even happen? Why didn't Biden get a judge to put her order on hold for at least 2 weeks until the SCIENTISTS decided it was okay?

At the very least, now the MAGATS can say "thank god we have a smart judge that trump appointed. otherwise we'd still be stuck doing what the scientists say."

It's really disheartening. One 34-year-old new Trump judge in Florida who was rated as UNQUALIFIED by the ABA gets to decide our national health policy.