Mary BoyteUMPR announced April 20 that face coverings will no longer be required on Oxford University Transit effective immediately. Previously, on campus, masks were only required on transportation and in healthcare facilities.
OUT’s new rule follows in accordance with a federal court order, according to the UM Today announcement. On April 18, the Transportation Security Administration released a statement saying, “Due to today’s court ruling, effective immediately, TSA will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs.”
Originally, UMPR released a statement on April 19 saying OUT buses would continue to require face coverings through May 3. The statement was quickly retracted, which Lisa Stone, the University of Mississippi strategic communications director, confirmed to the DM:
“A federal court has vacated the federal COVID-19 mask mandate for public transportation. This applies nationwide. Therefore, we are no longer required to mandate mask wearing on OUTbuses.”
The UM Today announcement ends with a reminder that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends people wear face coverings on indoor transportation. With OUT passengers forgoing masks, the university campus takes one step closer to getting back to a pre-COVID-19 normal.
