The Coast Guard announced Friday that it received permission from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to no longer enforce the mandate that requires anyone traveling on commercial maritime vessels, including ferries, to wear a mask in outdoor areas.
The requirement for most people to wear masks indoors for the duration of travel, including boarding and disembarking the vessel, is still in place. Exceptions for eating and drinking, identity verification and for speaking to someone hard of hearing are still allowed.
Masking up in outdoor areas on the vessel or at the dock or port, though, will no longer be required.
It will take some time for the CDC to formally revise the executive order and its mandates that initially required masking up outdoors on maritime vessels. Until then, the CDC said that they will not compel the Coast Guard and vessel operators to enforce outdoor masking requirements.