The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a sweeping order requiring the wearing of masks to protect against the spread of Covid-19 on virtually every form of public transportation throughout the country.&nbsp;

The order, issued late Friday, extends to travel on airplanes, trains, buses, taxis, ride-shares, subways, ferries and ships.&nbsp;

It expands on one of the first executive orders signed by President Joe Biden, which required masking for interstate travel as part of a larger strategy to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

The new order, which also covers intrastate travel, takes effect at 11:59 pm Monday (0459 Tuesday GMT).

"Wearing masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic," the order states.

"Therefore, requiring masks will help us control this pandemic and aid in reopening America's economy."

The CDC order covers passengers and transportation operators both during travel and while waiting in transportation hubs.

It says operators must make "best efforts" to enforce mask-wearing, and if necessary should disembark anyone refusing to comply.

It says, without providing much detail, that enforcement will ultimately be the responsibility of the federal Transportation Security Administration, as well as of "cooperating state and local authorities."&nbsp;

Noncompliance will constitute "a violation of federal law," according to the order.

Exemptions to mask-wearing are allowed for people eating, drinking or taking medication, as well as those communicating with the hearing-impaired. Masks can also be briefly removed during identity checks.

The United States has the world's worst Covid-19 statistics, but the numbers of cases and hospitalizations have declined for the past two weeks, with some experts partly crediting improved adherence to masking and social-distancing measures.

One of Biden's first official acts after his inauguration January 20 was to order mask-wearing on federal property. He has said consistent mask-wearing could save 50,000 American lives by April.

But former President Donald Trump frequently mocked the practice -- and was rarely seen wearing a mask -- making enforcement of the new standard more problematic in some parts of the country.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a sweeping order requiring the wearing of masks to protect against the spread of Covid-19 on virtually every form of public transportation throughout the country.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a sweeping order requiring the wearing of masks to protect against the spread of Covid-19 on virtually every form of public transportation throughout the country. The order, issued late Friday, extends to travel on airplanes, trains, buses, taxis, ride-shares, subways, ferries and ships. It expands on one of the first executive orders signed by President Joe Biden, which required masking for interstate travel as part of a larger strategy to reduce the spread of Covid-19. The new order, which also covers intrastate travel, takes effect at 11:59 pm Monday (0459 Tuesday GMT). "Wearing masks on our transportation systems will protect Americans and provide confidence that we can once again travel safely even during this pandemic," the order states. "Therefore, requiring masks will help us control this pandemic and aid in reopening America's economy." The CDC order covers passengers and transportation operators both during travel and while waiting in transportation hubs. It says operators must make "best efforts" to enforce mask-wearing, and if necessary should disembark anyone refusing to comply. It says, without providing much detail, that enforcement will ultimately be the responsibility of the federal Transportation Security Administration, as well as of "cooperating state and local authorities." Noncompliance will constitute "a violation of federal law," according to the order. Exemptions to mask-wearing are allowed for people eating, drinking or taking medication, as well as those communicating with the hearing-impaired. Masks can also be briefly removed during identity checks. The United States has the world's worst Covid-19 statistics, but the numbers of cases and hospitalizations have declined for the past two weeks, with some experts partly crediting improved adherence to masking and social-distancing measures. One of Biden's first official acts after his inauguration January 20 was to order mask-wearing on federal property. He has said consistent mask-wearing could save 50,000 American lives by April. But former President Donald Trump frequently mocked the practice -- and was rarely seen wearing a mask -- making enforcement of the new standard more problematic in some parts of the country.

US health agency to require mask-wearing in all public transportation

The US&nbsp;Department of Health and Human Services issued a rule on Friday that would lift anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare for transgender people and women seeking abortions, drawing condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-delays-oklahoma-rally-after-decry-of-massacre-on-juneteenth-305547" hreflang="en">Trump delays Oklahoma rally after decry of massacre on Juneteenth</a>

The rule reverses some provisions of the Affordable Care Act passed during President Barack Obama's administration, also known as Obamacare, that extended civil rights protections in healthcare to cover areas including gender identity and the termination of a pregnancy.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polish-president-compares-lgbt-ideology-to-soviet-indoctrination-305628" hreflang="en">Polish president compares 'LGBT ideology' to Soviet indoctrination</a>

LGBTQ rights groups, Democratic lawmakers and Democratic-controlled states have decried efforts under the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to erode protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer citizens. One group said it planned to sue the administration over the new rule.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision a "shocking attack on the health and well-being of countless vulnerable communities, including women, LGBTQ individuals, and people of color."

The Trump administration has also sought to restrict access to abortion.

The Health Department, or HHS, said a regulation issued by the Obama administration in 2016 to implement the anti-discrimination Section 1557 of Obamacare had "redefined sex discrimination to include termination of pregnancy and gender identity, which it defined as 'one's internal sense of gender, which may be male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female.'"

That regulation was struck down by a federal court in October 2019.

"HHS will enforce Section 1557 by returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word 'sex' as male or female and as determined by biology," the department said on Friday.

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said it planned to "sue the Trump administration for exceeding their legal authority and attempting to remove basic health care protections from vulnerable communities including LGBTQ people."

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a rule on Friday that would lift anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare for transgender people and women seeking abortions, drawing condemnation from Democratic lawmakers.

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a rule on Friday that would lift anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare for transgender people and women seeking abortions, drawing condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Also read: Trump delays Oklahoma rally after decry of massacre on Juneteenth The rule reverses some provisions of the Affordable Care Act passed during President Barack Obama's administration, also known as Obamacare, that extended civil rights protections in healthcare to cover areas including gender identity and the termination of a pregnancy. Also read: Polish president compares 'LGBT ideology' to Soviet indoctrination LGBTQ rights groups, Democratic lawmakers and Democratic-controlled states have decried efforts under the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to erode protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer citizens. One group said it planned to sue the administration over the new rule. US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision a "shocking attack on the health and well-being of countless vulnerable communities, including women, LGBTQ individuals, and people of color." The Trump administration has also sought to restrict access to abortion. The Health Department, or HHS, said a regulation issued by the Obama administration in 2016 to implement the anti-discrimination Section 1557 of Obamacare had "redefined sex discrimination to include termination of pregnancy and gender identity, which it defined as 'one's internal sense of gender, which may be male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female.'" That regulation was struck down by a federal court in October 2019. "HHS will enforce Section 1557 by returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word 'sex' as male or female and as determined by biology," the department said on Friday. The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said it planned to "sue the Trump administration for exceeding their legal authority and attempting to remove basic health care protections from vulnerable communities including LGBTQ people."

US health agency to lift anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare for transgender

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US health agency to require mask-wearing in all public transportation

US health agency to lift anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare for transgender