This statement was made Tuesday by the department. The DOJ stated that it disagrees the decision of the district court.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, Tampa , revoked Monday’s CDC requirement that covered airplanes and public transit. She stated that the mandate was beyond the authority of U.S. officials. The Transportation Security Administration stated that it would not enforce the mandate in the wake of the incident.
Are you required to wear a mask when flying? These airlines have dropped the mask mandate
After the CDC extended by two weeks the mask mandate which was set to expire on Monday, the judge’s decision was made. This was to allow researchers more time to study Omicron subvariant BA.
“If CDC concludes that a compulsory order is still necessary for the public’s health, the Department of Justice appeals the decision of the district court,” the Justice Department stated.
Tuesday night’s statement by the CDC stated that it recommends wearing masks in public transport settings indoors.
The statement said that “we will continue to assess whether a mask is required in those settings, based upon several factors including the U.S.COVID-19 community levels and risk of circulating novel variants and trends in cases, disease severity, and other factors.”
The response to the ruling was varied. New York City, Philadelphia and Atlanta still require masks to wear in airports and public transport, but others like Houston and Atlanta do not. Even though masks are no longer required by airlines , most say they do not require passengers to wear them. Amtrak also stated that masks are no more required for passengers on trains and stations.
When asked Tuesday if masks should be worn on planes by passengers, President Biden responded: “That’s up for them,” according to The Associated Press.
Dr. Celine Gounder is an infectious disease expert and Kaiser Health News editor-at-large. stated that the CDC’s extension was the right and prudent approach.
“We know this virus can mutate. It’s actually mutating very quickly,” she stated. We will see more variations, and other pandemics following COVID. It is really a bad idea to take away an essential tool or toolbox.
