GEORGE's is located in the state of St. George's The city of St. Pete, Fla. A federal judge in Florida struck down the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation on Monday, and the Biden administration said the rule would not be enforced while federal agencies decide how to respond to the judge's order.
The mask order is not in effect at this time, according to the White House.
The ruling gave operators the ability to make their own decisions about mask requirements, with several airlines announcing they would drop mandates, but the New York City subway planning to keep one in place. United, American, Delta, Southwest and Alaska are some of the carriers that have dropped the mandate.
The Association of Flight Attendants, the largest union of cabin crews in the US, has taken a neutral position on the mask rule because of the differing opinions of its members. The president of the union appealed for calm on Monday.
The last thing we need for workers on the frontlines or passengers is confusion and chaos, said Sara Nelson, the union leader.
Nelson said it takes airlines up to 48 hours to put new procedures in place. She said passengers should check with airlines for updates.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not follow proper procedures when making its decision, according to the decision by the U.S. District Judge.
In her ruling, she said that it would be impossible to end the rule for the limited group of people who objected in the lawsuit.
Even if the CDC's goals in fighting the virus are laudable, courts have full authority to make a decision such as this.
When asked if it would seek an emergency stay to block the judge's order, the Justice Department declined to comment. The CDC wouldn't comment.
The White House press secretary told reporters that the decision was disappointing.
The mask mandate was extended by the CDC to give them more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronaviruses that is responsible for most of the cases in the U.S.
In New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will review the Florida court order, according to Tim Minton.
New York City buses and subway trains are operated by the MTA. All trains and buses have face coverings on them.
The airlines tried to kill the federal mask requirement for travelers. The carriers argued that the air filters on modern planes make the transmission of the virus very unlikely. The mandate was killed by Republicans in Congress.
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 January.
Great to see a federal judge in Florida follow the law and reject the Biden transportation mask mandate. Both airline employees and passengers deserve to have this misery end.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 18, 2022
There have been disagreements over mask-wearing requirements that have led to violent incidents on aircraft.
The Health Freedom Defense Fund was described in the judge's order as a nonprofit group that "opposes laws and regulations that force individuals to submit to the administration of medical products, procedures and devices against their will."
The ruling was praised by the governor of Florida, who has fought against many government requirements.
A federal judge in Florida rejected the Biden transportation mask mandate. Both airline employees and passengers deserve this end.
Associated Press writers in Dallas, Washington, and New York contributed to the story.
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