ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Washington Insider Magazine) – On Monday, a federal court in Florida took down a nationwide mask mandate for flights and public transportation, prompting airports and airlines to quickly revoke their mandate that travelers wear face masks.
Following the judge’s ruling, airports, airlines, and mass transport systems were free to make decisions on mask regulations, leading to a variety of responses.
The main airlines resorted to a mask-optional strategy, with some announcements over loudspeakers evoking applause from travelers. The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday night that the mask mandate will no longer be enforced, and airports in Dallas and Houston almost quickly repealed their rules in response to the TSA news.
Los Angeles International Airport, world’s 5th largest by passenger traffic, similarly discontinued its regulation, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to advocate masks on public transit, “which I think is good advice,” said Heath Montgomery, a spokesperson for LAX.
The mask restriction in New York City’s public transportation system was set to remain in place. Riders on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s trains and buses will be able to choose whether or not to wear masks.
Since its members are split on the subject, the Association of Flight Attendants, the country’s largest group of flight attendants, recently took a neutral stance on the mask ban. The union’s head called for civility on aircraft and in airports on Monday.
The mask mandate applied to airports, airlines, public transportation, and taxis, and was the most visible remnant of pandemic regulations that were formerly prevalent all across the nation.
According to ABC NEWS, the judgment by the U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, a Trump appointee, also stated that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to defend its conclusion and did not pursue proper regulatory protocols, leaving it fatally defective.
Mizelle stated in her 59-page decision that the only solution was to repeal the regulation nationwide since it would be difficult to do so for the small number of individuals who protested in the case.
The judge stated that a limited remedy is better than no remedy at all, and that courts have the right to make such a judgment – even if the CDC’s intentions in combating the virus are admirable.
When questioned if it will seek an administrative stay to halt the judge’s ruling, the Department Of Justice and the CDC refused to comment.
According to the White House, the judge’s ruling implies that the mask mandate is now not in force.
The CDC recently prolonged the mask mandate until May 3 to give researchers more time to research the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus, which is now responsible for a large percentage of cases in the United States.
Masks will no longer be needed on domestic travel or on some overseas flights, United Airlines announced in a statement.
Similar statements were made by Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
The airlines spent months fighting against the federal mask mandate for travelers, hoping to have it repealed. The airlines stated that modern airplanes had efficient air filters, making transmission of the virus during a journey extremely unlikely. Congressional republicans opposed the mandate as well.
Critics point to the fact that states have repealed regulations mandating masks in restaurants, retail, and other indoor places, notwithstanding COVID-related legislation.
Since the omicron strain surged in mid-January, 19 instances have dropped dramatically.
A spate of violent episodes on planes have been blamed on disagreements about mask-wearing restrictions.
The complaint was brought in July 2021 by 2 plaintiffs and the Health Freedom Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization that fights regulations and laws that force people to consent to medical goods, treatments, and devices against their will, according to the judge’s decision.
In a twitter post, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not been formally involved in the lawsuit but has fought several federal coronavirus mandates, hailed the verdict.
