King’s Students and Faculty Reflect on the Lifted MTA Mask Mandate

| Photo by Brad Bang on Unsplash

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that masks are no longer required for commuters in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 7. The decision was made following other states after the nationwide mask mandate was overturned in April. 

Following decreases in COVID-19 infection rates and no recent hospitalization spikes since July, Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the mask mandate, stating that it’s time to “restore some normalcy to our lives.”

The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission also dropped their mask requirements following Hochul’s announcement. Other driving services such as Uber and Lyft are “strongly encouraging” passengers to wear masks, but ultimately it is the individual’s decision whether to wear a mask or not, according to a TLC source. 

At The King’s College, students and faculty in the city over the summer noticed an increasing number of people who stopped wearing masks on the subway and the buses even while they were still required. 

“It was hard not to notice who wasn’t wearing a mask because the intercom recording that everyone ‘must wear a face mask that covers their mouth and nose,’ played so often on the train,” said Kendall Adler, a sophomore in the House of Queen Elizabeth I majoring in MCA. “There are still people wearing masks, but there are even more without.” 

Some students think that mask-wearing hasn’t been a relevant issue in the past couple of months. 

“A majority are indifferent, I think. I myself haven’t been wearing one,” said Isaac White, a sophomore in the House of Ronald Reagan majoring in PPE. “This whole time, I’ve only been told to wear [a mask] by an MTA official once. The enforcement of the rule hasn’t been very strict.”

According to Dr. Paul Mueller, Associate Professor of Economics, the mask mandate lift seems to simply align with New Yorkers’ “de facto” mask rules. “From a social and legal standpoint, I think this is good in terms of recognizing how things are,” Dr. Mueller said. “People can be upset, but very little is actually changing because of it.”

There is still a concern for those who are more at risk of contracting the virus. Gov. Hochul encouraged New Yorkers to get the new booster shot which specifically targets the Omicron variant. The new booster shots were approved on the Aug. 31 by the Food and Drug Administration and are now available in health centers and pharmacies across the city. Initial eligibility is limited to those 12 years or older who are two months past their most recent booster or vaccine series. 

“I’m more scared for the people that are immunocompromised. I know there are people that are more susceptible to airborne diseases, and I feel bad for them,” Adler said. Though she thinks this is a sign things are starting to go back to normal, “it’s weird that before the pandemic we were all crammed face-to-face without any face masks.”

It’s been two and a half years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Some are resolute on returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyle. Others remain hesitant and have adopted a more preventative health approach. 

“I am not troubled if public health officials determine enough people are vaccinated and have antibodies to reduce the rules for masks on subways,” said Paul Glader, Professor of Journalism, Media and Entrepreneurship. When it comes to public health, some Americans might still choose to wear a mask when they’re feeling unwell, he said. “If quality masks are proven to prevent germs from spreading, then I see it as a Christian duty to love thy neighbor and to avoid getting others sick. That perhaps should be one of the ongoing lessons from the pandemic.”

Natalia Gaytan is a sophomore at the King’s College majoring in Media Culture and the Arts.