Uber will no longer require its passengers and drivers in the United States to wear masks on board

The company's decision comes after a federal judge annulled the obligation to wear masks in transport as “illegal”. Several North American airlines also adhered to the measure

An Uber driver wears a protective mask as he drives a car in the Queens neighborhood, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread, in New York, U.S., August 5, 2020. REUTERS/Tina Bellon

ibUber will no longer require passengers and drivers in the United States to wear masks on board, joining a growing number of major transportation providers that are changing their policies.

Uber's easing of rules comes after US airlines said they will no longer require travelers or employees to wear masks on domestic and some international flights.

The move came after the ruling of a federal judge in Florida that overturned the national mandate to wear masks covering airplanes and other means of public transportation for exceeding the authority of US health officials. Even in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Monday decision of federal district judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, appointed by former President Donald Trump, also said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to justify its decision inappropriately and did not follow proper rules.

“Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences,” Uber said in a statement.

In the UK, Uber's other major market, the company has already relaxed its rules on the use of masks in line with government advice.

The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that companies would no longer be able to force passengers to wear masks on public transportation, although both agencies recommended that they continue to be worn.

Restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States have eased after a decline in the number of cases since the January peak caused by the Ómicron variant.

However, New York has recently delayed its plans to eliminate the obligation to wear masks in schools and day care centers in the city for children under 5, claiming that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

(With information from Bloomberg)

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