Uber and Lyft say riders and drivers in New York are now not required to put on masks. “With NYC’s updated mask guidance for transportation, masks are now optional in Lyft rides,” a Lyft spokesperson instructed Engadget. “We’re in the process of updating the app to reflect this.” Uber knowledgeable customers of the coverage change by e-mail.

The transfer follows Governor Kathy Hochul’s choice to raise a masks mandate for public transportation on Wednesday. New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission additionally introduced that face coverings had been now not necessary in automobiles that it oversees, although it nonetheless strongly recommends sporting masks. Face coverings are no longer required on the subway both.

After a federal decide struck down a nationwide masks mandate for public transit in April, Uber and Lyft each dropped their masks necessities within the US. However, riders and drivers nonetheless wanted to put on masks in some areas, together with New York, relying on native laws. (Engadget has additionally requested Lyft about its masking coverage in New York.)

COVID-19 case numbers have been falling in NYC since a sixth wave hit town in July, The New York Times notes. Although she eliminated the masks mandate, Hochul inspired the state’s residents to get a booster shot that targets the Omicron variant. The Food and Drug Administration approved Omicron inoculations final month.