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Tuesday 19 april 2022

Florida judge voids U.S. mask mandate for planes, other travel

Continued from Front trains as well as two com-
muter rail lines. Face cover-
The judge said “a limited ings have been mandatory
remedy would be no rem- on all trains and buses since
edy at all” and courts have early in the pandemic.
full authority to make a de- The federal mask require-
cision such as this — even ment for travelers was the
if the goals of the CDC in target of months of lobby-
fighting the virus are laud- ing from the airlines, which
able. sought to kill it. The carriers
“Because our system does argued that effective air
not permit agencies to act filters on modern planes
unlawfully even in pursuit of make transmission of the vi-
desirable ends, the court rus during a flight highly un-
declares unlawful and va- likely. Republicans in Con-
cates the mask mandate,” gress also fought to kill the
she wrote. mandate.
The Justice Department Travelers line up wearing protective masks indoors at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Critics have seized on the
declined to comment Dec. 28, 2021. fact that states have rolled
Monday when asked if the Associated Press back rules requiring masks
government planned to law and reject the Biden not some of these entities planes and in airports. in restaurants, stores and
appeal the ruling. The CDC transportation mask man- would continue to require “The last thing we need for other indoor settings, and
also declined to comment. date. Both airline employ- masks on their own. workers on the frontlines or yet COVID-19 cases have
White House press secre- ees and passengers de- United Airlines told em- passengers traveling today fallen sharply since the
tary Jen Psaki told reporters serve to have this misery ployees that the mask rule is confusion and chaos,” omicron variant peaked in
that federal agencies were end,” DeSantis tweeted. remains in effect while fed- union leader Sara Nelson mid-January.
still assessing the court de- The CDC recently extend- eral officials decide how said. Nelson said it takes There have been a series of
cision Monday afternoon. ed the mask mandate, to respond to the judge’s airlines 24 to 48 hours to put violent incidents on aircraft
“This is obviously a disap- which was set to expire ruling. Other airlines and new procedures in place that have mainly been at-
pointing decision,” Psaki Monday, until May 3 to al- their trade group, Airlines and tell employees about tributed to disputes over
said, “The CDC is recom- low more time to study the for America, did not imme- them. She said passen- the mask-wearing require-
mending wearing a mask BA.2 omicron subvariant of diately respond to requests gers should to check with ments. The lawsuit was filed
on public transit.” the coronavirus that is now for comment after the rul- airlines for updates about in July 2021 by two plaintiffs
Republican Florida Gov. responsible for the vast ma- ing was released. travel requirements. and the Health Freedom
Ron DeSantis, who was jority of cases in the U.S. The Association of Flight At- In New York, Metropolitan Defense Fund, described in
not directly involved in The mandate covered all tendants, the nation’s larg- Transportation Authority the judge’s order as a non-
the case but has battled types of transportation in est union of cabin crews, communications director profit group that “opposes
against many government the U.S. as well as requir- has recently taken a neutral Tim Minton said, “We are laws and regulations that
coronavirus requirements, ing masks in any transpor- position on the mask rule continuing to follow CDC force individuals to submit
praised the ruling in a state- tation hub, such as an air- because its members are guidelines and will review to the administration of
ment on Twitter. port, seaport or bus termi- divided about the issue. On the Florida court order.” medical products, proce-
“Great to see a federal nal. It wasn’t immediately Monday, the union’s presi- The MTA operates New dures and devices against
judge in Florida follow the clear Monday whether or dent appealed for calm on York City buses and subway their will.”q