Where should masks be worn? What you need to know about the latest mask guidelines

The rules and guidelines for wearing a mask have changed this week, with the federal and state governments notably dropping a requirement that masks be worn on public transit.

Planes, trains, buses and ride-hailing

In general, travelers are no longer required to wear masks on planes, trains and buses. Masks were previously required on those forms of transit.

On Monday, a federal judge in Florida voided a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirement that masks be worn on forms of public transit.

The CDC has publicly pushed back against the ruling, indicating it asked the Department of Justice to appeal the decision.

"It is CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health," reads a Wednesday statement from the agency.

"CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings," the statement continued.

More on mask mandate: Pritzker says he will revise state's mask mandate for public transit including airports

This court ruling was quickly followed by several public agencies and private companies dropping their requirements, including the state of Illinois, Sangamon Mass Transit District and private airlines.

On Monday evening, the Transportation Security Administration announced it would no longer enforce mask requirements on planes and in airports.

The three airlines that operate flights out of the Abrham Lincoln Capital Aitrport at Springfield — Allegiant Air, United Airlines and American Airlines — have all either issued statements or updated their websites announcing they no longer require masks on their flights.

"To mask or not to mask, that is your choice," read a tweet from Allegiant Air posted Tuesday afternoon.

Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines and others also have announced that they will no longer require masks on their flights.

Amtrak, the long-distance passenger rail service, has lifted its mask requirements this week, according to its website.

The Sangamon Mass Transit District dropped its requirement that all passengers wear masks on its buses on Tuesday morning.

Earlier story: No more masks in schools; Illinois Supreme Court denies governor's appeal

"SMTD is happy to be able to take this step coming out of the pandemic," SMTD Managing Director Steve Schoeffel told the SJ-R on Tuesday. "Our operators will appreciate no longer having to enforce the mandate."

Long-distance bus service Greyhound also dropped its requirement effective April 19, according to its website, though it continues to respect requirements to wear a mask when crossing the border into Mexico or Canada.

Uber and Lyft, two popular ride-hailing apps, have also updated their COVID-19 rules, including dropping a mask requirement for passengers and drivers.

Lyft additionally removed the option to cancel a trip for health and safety reasons such as a driver not wearing a mask.

"We know that everyone has different comfort levels, and anyone who wants to continue wearing a mask is encouraged to do so," the company said in a Tuesday blog post.

Hospitals and health care settings

Illinois continues to require masking in health care settings such as hospitals, clinics and COVID-19 testing sites.

This requirement stems from an executive order from Gov. JB Pritzker, which remains in effect.

Schools

Masks are not required in local schools or on school buses, according to Bree Hankins, a spokesperson for Springfield School District 186.

"We are recommending, not requiring," said Hankins on Thursday.

County COVID data: Sangamon County's COVID cases up 56.4%; Illinois cases surge 30.3%

Masks in schools was the subject of a lawsuit that was eventually appealed to the state's supreme court. The court denied an appeal from the governor on Feb. 25, resulting in the state-level mask requirement being dropped.

Pritzker then formally rescinded the part of an executive order that had required masks.

CDC recommendations

The CDC recommends mask wearing when hospital admissions and new cases rise. They track this using a county-level metric they call "community levels."

Currently, Sangamon County is rated at the lowest level, meaning the CDC does not recommend universal mask wearing in the Springfield area. The only county in Illinois with a heightened COVID-19 community level is Champaign County, which is rated as "medium." This means the CDC recommends that people at higher risk of serious disease should consider wearing a mask.

The only areas of the country that the CDC recommends universal masking because of community level are in several counties in upstate New York and an area around Kansas City, Kansas, as well as Guam and American Samoa.

Contact Andrew Adams: aadams1@gannett.com; (312)-291-1417; twitter.com/drewjayadams.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: COVID mask mandate update: The latest on facemask rules in IL