COVID-19: The White House refuses to enforce masks on public transport

In early September, the US Public Health Agency drafted a sweeping order that would require all passengers and employees to wear masks on public transport in the United States.

This measure was put into place to curb the spread of the virus in the US and to force citizens to wear face maskson planes, trains, buses and subways as well as in airports, train stations and bus depots.

As the New York Times has reported, this bill was opposed by the White House on Friday 9th October, despite the fact that officials said that the bill originally had the support of the secretary of health and human services.

However, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pense refused to even discuss it.

The head of this task force at the White House finally said that this particular decision should be made by independent states and their localities:

The approach the task force has taken with any mask mandate is, the response in New York City is different than Montana, or Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Local and state authorities need to determine the best approach for their responsive effort depending on how the Coronavirus is impacting their area.

This decision could endanger the health of citizens in the United States and could mean the virus will continue to spread.