US will no longer enforce mask mandate on aeroplanes, trains after court ruling
India Today
Judge Mizelle said the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had exceeded its authority, had not sought public comment and did not adequately explain its decisions. The Biden administration will no longer enforce a US mask mandate on public transportation.
The Biden administration will no longer enforce a US mask mandate on public transportation, after a federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that the 14-month-old directive was unlawful, overturning a key White House effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Soon after the announcement, United Airlines (UAL.O) and Alaska Airlines (ALK.N) relaxed the restrictions effective immediately on all domestic flights.
The ruling by US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, an appointee of President Donald Trump, came in a lawsuit filed last year in Tampa, Florida, by a group called the Health Freedom Defence Fund.
Judge Mizelle said the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had exceeded its authority with the mandate, had not sought public comment and did not adequately explain its decisions.
A US administration official said while the agencies were assessing potential next steps, the court's decision meant CDC's public transportation masking order was no longer in effect. The administration could still opt to appeal the order or seek an emergency delay in the order's enforcement.
"Therefore, TSA will not enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs at this time," the official said in a statement.
"CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings."
