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Metro Passengers, Doctors Weigh In On Mask Mandates Lifted For Mass Transit

(CBS DETROIT) - Now that the masks mandates for airlines has been lifted, what are people saying?

Passengers we spoke with are 50/50 on the issue, but what about health experts?

As planes departed from Metro Airport on Tuesday, for the first in a long time some passengers may not have on masks, and it's allowed.

"Just stuffy for me to breath with the mask on," said Donald McBride, of Livonia, as he prepares to travel to Florida.

McBride breathing a sigh of relief now that Delta and a handful of other airlines drops the mask mandate.

This following a federal court ruling Monday striking down mask requirements on public transportation, but not everyone agrees with the decision.

"I'm not going to take any chances and get sick from my vacation," said Beth Arey, of Coldwater.

Arey is traveling to Orlando and says, this is her first vacation in 16 months. She says others can do what they want, but she's keeping her mask on. Being a nurse, she says the hospital in her small community has seen an increase in COVID cases lately. However, doctors in Metro Detroit are not too concerned about masks not being worn on airplanes.

"They filter the air multiple times and hour probably every two to three minutes they bring in fresh air from the outside and they have hepa filters, of the ways to travel that's one of the safest. You're really kind of at most risk from people I your immediate vicinity," said Dr. Jim Getzinger with Beaumont Health.

Doctors say other mass transit such as buses puts you at most risks of contracting COVID because there's no filtered air. They recommend wearing masks if you're sick or have health conditions.

One thing passengers agreed on is they plan to enjoy their vacations.

"I've got some buddy's I'll see to golf," McBride said.

"My best friends daughter works at Disney World so we're going to go to Disney World," Arey said.

Although signs are still up at DTW, airport reps say the TSA is not enforcing masks by worn here, although that's not the case at all airports and all airlines, so check before traveling.

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