New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority faced immediate backlash after introducing a new mask-optional policy with the slogan "You do you" below a cartoon of a person wearing a mask over their mouth.
The MTA used to require riders to wear a face mask. There was a sign that said "That's the one!" after several examples of how not to wear a mask. "Stop the spread" was the slogan that came with the sign. The person is wearing a mask.
"Masks are encouraged, but optional" is the slogan of the new guidance, which flips the collective-effort messaging to a more individual-based approach to public health. Let's honor each other's decisions. The new signs show how to not wear a mask for protection, but now say it's acceptable.
"Now is the right time for New Yorkers to make their own decisions about what works best for them," said Janno Lieber in a statement.
"Customers should continue to do what they are most comfortable with, even if that means wearing a mask," said Rieara.
The emphasis on personal choice is different to what public health experts and New York officials have been promoting. Governor Kathy Hochul said on Thursday that masks would be optional in some places. Policies could be adjusted in the future if masks are still required in healthcare settings. She said that they are still in this.
AdvertisementThe new messages were mocked and criticized by health experts.
"You do you on public safety messaging, nothing says "we're in this together" like that," said Mack.
Louise Ivers is the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health. She said she was appalled at the state of public health communication.
Adams was a former US Surgeon General. This is terrible and harmful, no matter your feelings on masks. America deserves better health messaging.
The Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY (CIDNY) disagreed with the MTA's new policy. Lifting a mask requirement on public transit could increase the risk for people with disabilities and those who are immune compromised, according to the organization. Images that show masks being worn wrong can be dangerous. We don't need to be encouraged. Safety is important to us.
The MTA used to promote the idea that wearing a mask was a sign of respect. Patrick Foye, the former MTA Chair and CEO, said in a statement in 2020 that "every MTA customer can be a part of operation respect, sending a clear message that their health and safety and that of everyone around them is important."
The MTA's policy follows a larger trend in the US to shift public health guidance toward individual decision making rather than collective efforts for the greater good, which has alarmed health experts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that people can now "decide which prevention behaviors to use and when based on their own risk for severe illness and that of members of their household."
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