Mask mandate now in effect for travelers; Bay Area already requires

OAKLAND, Calif. - Travelers across the country are now required to wear a face mask on all forms of transportation. A federal mask mandate is now in effect. 

For most Bay Area travelers, this won't be a major change. 

But for travelers across the country, the new federal mask mandate means that masks are now required whenever people set foot in an airport, bus or train station. 

Masks are now also required when people take taxis. 

But a change people may notice is that now, transportation workers have the authority to enforce the mask rules.

You won't be able to get through an airport security checkpoint without one. And people who violate the order can face fines.

Traveler Rodney Wilson said the rules are there for a reason. 

"I think we are a society that we don’t want to be told what to do but I think there are certain situations, if we do the same thing, it will help us out a little," he said. 

The CDC says scarves and bandanas or masks with exhalation valves do not qualify.

Gaiters must have two layers of fabric, and face shields can be worn with a mask - but not instead of one.

Children younger than two and those who are unable to safely wear a mask are exempt. 

But the CDC says transit personnel can require a doctor's note certifying that you are medically exempt from wearing a face covering.