Once the COVID-19 omicron wave died down after exploding during the 2021-22 holiday season, mask mandates quickly went by the wayside.
Fewer mandates were seen in public places, cities and workplaces, and in April 2022, the U.S. stopped enforcing mask-wearing on airplanes, trains and buses after a federal judge struck down the Biden administration’s mask requirement for public transportation.
“Although during the early months of 2022, masks were a hard requirement for many businesses, once the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] eased their masking recommendations, most employers followed suit,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and CEO of the American Staffing Association, a trade association based in Alexandria, Va.
