Uber, Lyft Users in New York No Longer Have to Mask Up

Uber and Lyft have reportedly decided that riders in New York will no longer have to mask up.

Uber informed users of this policy change in an email, Engadget reports(Opens in a new window). Lyft also confirmed in a statement that it too had decided to drop the mask mandate on its platform. Uber and Lyft users can still wear masks if they want to, though.

Uber and Lyft both said in May 2020 that drivers and riders alike would need to wear face masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic; anyone who didn’t could be kicked off their platforms.

That changed shortly after a federal judge in Florida decided(Opens in a new window) the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention couldn’t require travelers to wear face masks on public transportation. Masks were still required in New York, but that changed after Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Sept. 7 that state guidelines regarding face coverings were going to be revised:

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“Masking requirements will remain in effect at state-regulated health care facilities and clinical settings,” Hochul said in a follow-up tweet(Opens in a new window). “We are following the data & will continue to adjust our policies as necessary. We are still in this together.”