At the urging of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Justice on Wednesday challenged a federal judge’s decision removing orders for federal masks on planes and other modes of public transportation designed to protect it. Distribution of COVID-19.
Check out the rating now @CDCgov That an ordinance requiring the use of face masks in a traffic corridor remains a requirement for public health protection, the department filed an appeal with the Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc., et al., V. Biden, et al. sa.
– Anthony Cole (@AnthonyColeyDOJ) April 20, 2022
Shortly before the Justice Department’s announcement, the CDC issued a statement. It said it called the department to file a complaint today, rather than wait for next month.
“It is an ongoing CDC assessment that at this time an ordinance requiring mask coverage in a closed transportation corridor remains necessary for public health,” the agency said in a statement, adding that it is “l ‘CDC’s legal authority to protect the public.” Health. . “
On Tuesday, the Justice Department said it was ready to resume the appeal on May 3 – the date the mask order expired before a judge intervened in Florida – if the CDC believes it should be extended.
But on Wednesday, the CDC announced that the proposed timeline would not be adequate, especially with the emergence of the coronavirus ommicron BA.2 subunit, which scientists are still studying.
“As we said, wearing a mask is more profitable in crowded or poorly ventilated areas, such as transport corridors,” the agency said in a statement. Requiring people to wear a face mask in such situations helps “protect themselves and others, including the immunocompromised or unvaccinated, and helps protect travel and public transport for all, “added the CDC.
The decision to revoke the federal mask order, in place since the early days of the pandemic, was made Monday by U.S. District Judge Catherine Kimball Mizel, a candidate for Donald Trump. In its 59-page decision, it ruled that the ordinance exceeded the authority of U.S. health officials and said “they cannot act illegally even to achieve the desired goals.”
Major U.S. airlines and many airports revoked the mask order shortly after its decision, with some doing so during the flight. The same is done by Amtrak, Uber and other major public transport service providers.
Source: Huffpost
