PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland International Airport requires everyone entering the terminal to wear a face covering of some sort. Officials with the Port of Portland are citing CDC recommendations and say that a face mask worn by a doctor or first responder, such as a N95 mask, is not needed.
The airport made the policy change last week during a monthly Port of Portland commissioners meeting.
Chief Operating Officer Dan Pippenger says it's "To give a consistent experience throughout the airport and so people don't take the face covering on and off and to protect people the whole way through, that's why we made the choice."
PDX employees were already required to wear face coverings, as well as TSA employees and ticket agents. Pippenger says every airline that operates out of PDX requires passengers to wear a face covering.
If you don't have a face covering when you arrive at PDX, they will remind you to wear one or hand one out should you need it. PDX says they have a limited supply available.
PDX isn't the first business or place to require face masks. Uber announced drivers and riders would be required to wear face masks too.
Costco and New Seasons enacted similar requirements earlier in May.
Javier Spyker is a lawyer for Hernandez and Associates and specializes in law regarding small businesses. Spyker says businesses requiring patrons to wear a mask have a right to do so.
"In general, business premises is private property and patrons are invited guests on that property. As guests of that property, it's expected that they would follow any requirements of attending or being physically present on that property."
Starting Wednesday, TriMet will require all riders to wear a face covering on all buses and trains.
"So any place that you're on the transit system interacting with others, you do need to have that face covering on. We are asking folks to wear their own if possible, especially because you're likely gonna interact with people as you're making your way to a bus or a train," said Roberta Altstadt, a TriMet spokesperson.
She says most riders already do, but for those that don't have one before boarding TriMet has installed mask dispensers on every bus and train. She says they have over a million masks available to hand out.
"We are asking folks to comply, it's a show of respect for others as well as yourself and your family."
TriMet says riders won't be ticketed or kicked off the bus or train, but transit officers will conduct more of an educational enforcement and remind riders that masks are required.
"The operator will inform them of the mask requirement and indicate that there's a mask right there for their use."
The CDC says cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
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