Masks are no longer required on public transit nationally but what about in Jackson?

JACKSON, TENN (WNBJ)-

Masks are no longer required on public transit but how is that effecting west Tennessee?

The Jackson Transit Authority and McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport are not requiring masks.

“We had dropped the mask mandate inside the building here when Madison County lifted their mask mandate…boutique who still servicing Jackson airport now lifted their mask mandate," said Steve Smith the executive director for Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority.

But Smith says many are still choosing to wear masks, "We had several in here. I noticed Friday it looked like an entire family that was still wearing mask wearing. And that's a personal choice.”

Everyday 2 million Americans fly and 34 million take mass transit.

Now that travelers are no longer required to wear masks some public health experts worry that dropping the mandate order could undermine public health nation-wide.

“I think it'll have implications well beyond the simple issue of wearing masks on public transit. And i think we may be shooting ourselves in the foot in terms of our overall health and wellbeing," said Dr. Esther Choo Emergency Medicine Physician/Oregon Health & Science University

The Jackson Transit Authority says they are not requiring masks in their buses, but many are still wearing them.

Smith says Southern Airways Express will not require masks when they begin offering flights at the airport, “They're not going to know, everything will be based on what the department of transportation has going.”

The decision on mask mandates is not expected to be reversed.