Duke will still continue requiring masks on its buses and vans following Monday’s suspension of the federal mask mandate for public transportation.
Masks will be required on Duke’s transportation services through commencement, wrote Paul Grantham, assistant vice president in the office of communication services, wrote an email to The Chronicle.
He cited the rising number of COVID-19 cases on campus since spring break. For the week of April 11 to 17, Duke reported 123 COVID-19 cases among students and 22 among faculty and staff.
“We are working to keep our drivers and others safe,” Grantham wrote.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask mandate for buses, trains, airplanes and other public transportation. The ruling came shortly after the CDC extended the mandate through May 3.
The CDC initially announced the mask mandate on Jan. 21, 2021. The Health Freedom Defense Fund filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the rule in July 2021. After the decision was announced, the group released a statement calling the ruling a “victory for basic American liberty and the rule of law.”
United States President Joe Biden's administration announced on Tuesday that it would appeal the ruling. In the meantime, the CDC still recommends people wear masks in indoor public transit settings.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Anisha Reddy is a Trinity junior and a senior editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.