AP
A federal judge in Florida has voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking.
In her 59-page ruling, Mizelle said the only remedy was to vacate the rule entirely across the country because it would be impossible to end it for the limited group of people who objected in the lawsuit.
The judge said “a limited remedy would be no remedy at all” and that the courts have full authority to make a decision such as this — even if the goals of the CDC in fighting the virus are laudable.
“Because our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends, the court declares unlawful and vacates the mask mandate,” she wrote.
The Justice Department declined to comment Monday when asked if the government planned to appeal the ruling.
The CDC recently extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire Monday, until May 3 to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus that is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in the U.S.
The mask requirement for travelers was the target of months of lobbying from the airlines, which sought to kill it. The carriers argued that effective air filters on modern planes make transmission of the virus during a flight highly unlikely. Republicans in Congress also fought to kill the mandate.
Critics have seized on the fact that states have rolled back rules requiring masks in restaurants, stores and other indoor settings, and yet COVID-19 cases have fallen sharply since the omicron variant peaked in mid-January.
There have been a series of violent incidents on aircraft that have mainly been attributed to disputes over the mask-wearing requirements.
Bh
It’s about time! Bh
Yayyyyy I can travel to Chicago with no masks
When will this be in effect
Is this going to help over-the-border travel as well, or only domestic American travel?
The Republicans are ruining our country!! Mask=moshiach!!!
FYI, you can still wear a mask; you just can’t force others to. For once, quit being an Am Haaretz and read the room; worshipping at the altar of Fauci-ism and public “health” pseudoscience is counterintuitive and borderline avodah zarah.
No, it’s not borderline avoido zoro, it is avoido zoro! As a simple person I realized two years ago that this was ALL about CONTROLsnd had zero to do with health or safety. As an “older” category person I then got rid of my ridiculous poisonous mask which would have made me reinhale my exhaled contaminated breath, and have been Boruch Hashem perfectly fine.
I promise, Moshiach will not be wearing a mask. Should we allow him to come?? All the sheep that have been brainwashed by mengelle fauchi should be very careful as the sheep will be used for korbonos when Moshiach (without a mask) finally appears…..