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US judge overturns mask-wearing regulations for planes and trains According to Reuters


© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Travelers wearing protective masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) receive their luggage at the airport in Denver, Colorado, U.S., November 24, 2020. REUTERS / Kevin Mohatt / File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal judge in Florida on Monday said a U.S. ban on face masks on public transportation was illegal, upsetting the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce public transportation. spread of COVID-19.

Last week, US health officials extended by 15 days the requirement that travelers wear masks on planes, trains, taxis, carpools or transit hubs, saying they It will take time to assess the impact of the recent surge in COVID-19. cases.

The ruling by US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, President Donald Trump’s appointee, was made last year in Tampa, Florida, by a group called the Foundation for the Defense of Medical Freedom.

Judge Mizelle said the CDC had exceeded its mandate with the mandate, had not sought public comment and failed to adequately explain its decisions.

The judge sent the matter back to the CDC. It’s unclear if the judge’s order is effective immediately, and the Transportation Security Administration’s order to make face masks mandatory still appears to be in effect.

The White House called the ruling “disappointing,” and said it was continuing to review information related to the order.

“We are continuing to recommend that people wear masks,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

The TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration declined to comment. The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were not immediately available for comment.

The CDC first issued a public health order requiring masks in interstate transportation in February 2021. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a security directive to execute CDC command.

Industry groups and Republican lawmakers wanted the administration to immediately end its mandate to wear 14-month-old masks last week.

The ruling could create confusion on planes, where the mask regulation has caused an uptick in incidents and swings between aviation officials on duty and passengers refusing to claim them. Ask them to cover their faces.

The Federal Aviation Administration says that since January 2021, there have been a record 7,060 cases of unruly passengers reported – and 70% related to the face covering rule.

Following the ruling, Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, called for “calmness and consistency in airports and on planes. The last thing we need for workers on the front lines or Airline passengers today are confusion and chaos.”

Last week, US airlines urged the Biden administration to “rely on science and research, which clearly support the removal of mask regulations. It makes no sense to require masks on airplanes when face masks are not recommended in places like restaurants, bars or crowded sports facilities.”

The group, which represents major US passenger airlines, did not immediately comment on Monday’s ruling.

The US Senate voted 57-40 last month to reverse a public health order requiring masks on planes and other forms of public transportation, leading to a threat of a veto from Biden.

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