As a country with a developed service industry, the United States has very advanced transportation system, such as freightage, convenient taxis and bus services. There are also school bus services in some places. In the past, some truck drivers would wear disposable surgical masks to protect against dust and tiny particles outside their windows. Because they need to deliver goods across different urban areas, wearing ordinary surgical masks helps reduce the impact of environmental changes on them.
Since the beginning of mask decree in 2021, the decree has been alternately lax and strict from time to time. Let take a look at some time line.
1. According to CDC relevant Order issued on January 29, 2021 “requiring the wearing of masks by people on public transportation conveyances or on the premises of transportation hubs to prevent spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. This Order was effective as of 11:59 p.m. February 1, 2021 and was published in the Federal Registerexternal icon on February 3, 2021.
But On June 10, 2021, CDC announced that it is exercising its enforcement discretion to not require that people wear masks while outdoors on conveyances or while outdoors on the premises of transportation hubs. Subject to how other federal partners and state and local entities define “outdoors,” CDC understands “outdoors” to refer to any open-air area”
2. Two months ago, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will extend the security directive for mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs for one month,
During that time, CDC will work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor. This revised framework will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science. We will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change.
3. latest news about covid-19 virus. On June 16, local time in the United States, there were 143,000 new cases of new crowns and 526 new deaths. Two months ago, the number of new cases in the United States was around 30,000 a day. According to data from Johns Hopkins University on June 10, the positive rate of new crown nucleic acid tests in the United States was 14.1%. There were 31,000 new hospital admissions in the U.S. for the week ended June 13, compared with 10,600 in the week of April 12 nearly two months ago. It is likely that mask mandate will be strictly put into practise according to the current surge cases and the terrible mutant strain: BA.4/5.
So the answer for why mask mandates towards transportation system are
alternately lax and strict is that: it depends on the severity of the covid-19.
Something bus drivers and truck drivers need to know
Airborne contaminants present a serious risk to truck drivers and carpoolers.
One way to do so is by using a respirator that is approved by NIOSH for use in hazardous environments, specifically N95 respirators. Read on for more information about air quality standards, precautions you can take to protect yourself while driving..
The Importance of Having at Least One N95 Respirator in Your car
You never know when a disaster will hit, or when it’s going to happen,such as the covid-19 which was come in without any signs.
but one thing is for sure. Having at least one N95 respirator in your car will come in handy. Even if you live far away from where there may be some type of emergency situation, having at least one in your car is necessary.
N95 masks in demand during BA.4/5 surge
The demand for disposable N95 masks (used in prevention of diseases such as allergies, colds, infections, TB, pandemic) is surging. Recently, a medical company
said that they will product 10 million units of these masks during variant BA.4/5. In order to avoid the shortage of masks again.
Drivers, especially bus drivers and school bus drivers, should wear masks properly when the epidemic is serious. Not only to protect themselves, but also to protect the members of the ride.Therefore, it is particularly important to choose a suitable N95 mask for your work. Then buy a stock of masks and store them in your car or at home.