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(Des Moines, IA) -- People traveling in and out of Des Moines International Airport now have the option to wear a mask in the terminal. The airport's announcement Monday has come after a federal judge in Florida declared mask mandates on airplanes and other transportation methods unlawful because the Centers for Disease Control over stepped its authority. Also as the TSA says it will no longer enforce mask rules.
Midwest travelers are reacting to the lifting of mask requirements in airports nationwide. "I'm over it," says Doug Kraft of North Dakota. "It's time to be done. It's been going on long enough." "You're with a lot of people that you don't know and that you don't know anything about and you can't really trust to know that they've been safe," says Mara Corum of Minnesota.
At least a half dozen airlines including United, American, Southwest, Delta, Alaska, and JetBlue are no longer requiring masks. DART, Amtrak and Uber have also dropped their mandates. As of Tuesday morning, Lyft has kept its mask policies in place.
Transit companies do still have the option to keep mask mandates. Travelers are advised to check the airports, bus stations and other transit businesses they are traveling to for their current guidelines.
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