Flyers celebrate on flights as mask mandate on public transportation is overturned in US
One of the last remaining nationwide COVID-19 restrictions in the US has been overturned, with masks no longer required on public transport.
Passengers ripped off their face coverings and cheered after the mask mandate was quashed by a federal judge on Tuesday, but not everyone was celebrating.
Here’s why.
Mask mandate overturned
While the US government eased most indoor mask rules last month, there was still a national requirement mandating the use of masks on mass transit services, including planes, trains, ride-sharing and public transport.
And in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week extended the mandate until May 3.
But on Tuesday, US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle threw out the mandate, ruling it unlawful.
It was the outcome of a lawsuit filed in Florida last year asking the court to overturn the national order.
Judge Kimball Mizelle said the CDC overstepped its authority by issuing the original health order, saying it was fatally flawed because the CDC didn’t follow proper rule-making procedures.
