The United States will no longer enforce a mask mandate on public transportation, including airplanes and trains.
A federal judge in Florida ruled that the directive was “unlawful,” and overturned an effort to reduce the spread of Covid. The White House said the ruling was a “disappointing decision.”
After the announcement, major airline carriers, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines relaxed their restrictions, effective immediately. National train line Amtrak also did the same.
Last week, U.S. health officials extended the mask mandate on public transportation until May 3. It required travelers to wear their masks on airplanes, trains, taxis, ride-shares, and transit hubs.
The administration said that time was needed in order to assess the impact of the recent rise in Covid cases, which have been caused by the airborne disease.
Republican lawmakers were not a fan of the mask mandate and wanted it to be folded immediately and permanently.
In Florida, a conservative judge did just that. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle was appointed by the now-former president Donald Trump. A lawsuit was filed last year in Tampa by a group called the Health Freedom Defense Fund.
Judge Mizelle said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exceeded its authority by establishing the mandate.
An administration official said that the court’s decision means the public transportation masking order is no longer in effect while the agencies assess potential next steps.
The U.S. administration can still choose to appeal the decision or seek an emergency delay in the order’s enforcement.
The CDC still recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings. TSA however will not enforce its mask mandate at the moment.
Covid is on the rise again in the U.S., with the highest number of reported total deaths in the world in the past seven-day average.
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