Gates County Inter-Regional Transportation System Face Mask Policy

Gates County Inter-Regional Transportation System Face Mask Policy

 

PURPOSE AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce the spread of the virus, the President

issued an Executive Order, Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel,

on January 21, 2021, requiring masks to be worn in airports, on commercial aircraft, and in

various modes of surface transportation. On January 27, 2021, the Acting Secretary of

Homeland Security determined a national emergency existed requiring the Transportation

Security Administration (TSA) to issue this Security Directive (SD) to implement the Executive

Order and enforce the related Order1 issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), pursuant to the authority of 49 U.S.C. section 114. Consistent with these mandates and

TSA's authority, TSA is issuing this SD requiring masks to be worn to mitigate the spread of

COVID-19. The requirements in this SD must be applied to all persons in or on one of the

conveyances or a transportation facility used by one of the modes identified above. TSA

developed these requirements in consultation with the Department of Transportation (including

the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration) and the CDC.

1

 

Therefore, The Gates County Inter-Regional Transportation System, GITS, requires all persons to wear a properly worn mask while on all vehicles.  GITS will refuse services to any persons not wearing properly secured masks.   Persons failing to adhere to the GITS Staff/Operators request to maintain properly secured masks, will be:

 

-Denied Boarding; and/or

-Required to disembark the vehicle/facility as soon as practical.

 

ACTIONS REQUIRED

-Federal law requires wearing a mask while on the conveyance and failure to comply may

result in denial of boarding or removal.

-Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to

penalties under federal law

-GITS must require that individuals wear a mask, except for the following categories of persons exempted in the Security Directive(SD) of the Center of Disease Control(CDC), listed below:

 

- Children under the age of 2.

-People with disabilities who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because

of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et

seq.).

-People for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job.

In the event that a person falls under the exemption, written documentation must be provided.

 

A properly worn mask completely covers the nose and mouth of the wearer. A mask should be secured to the head, including with ties or ear loops. A mask should fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face. Masks do not include face shields. Masks can be either manufactured or homemade and should be a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, or punctures. Medical masks and N-95 respirators fulfill the requirements of this SD. CDC guidance for attributes of acceptable masks in the context of the SD is available athttps://www.cdc.gov/guarantine/masks/mask-travel-guidance.html.

 

February 2021