Coronavirus: US will no longer enforce mask mandate on planes, trains after court ruling
- Passengers on US planes and other public transport no longer required to wear masks after a federal judge struck down mandate
- The White House called the ruling ‘disappointing’ as US federal agencies assessed potential next steps
The Biden administration will no longer enforce a US mask mandate on public transport, after a federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that the 14-month-old directive was unlawful, overturning a key White House effort to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Soon after the announcement, all major carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as national train line Amtrak relaxed the restrictions effective immediately.
Last week, US health officials had extended the mandate to May 3 requiring travelers to wear masks on planes, trains, and in taxis, ride-share vehicles or transit hubs, saying they needed time to assess the impact of a recent rise in Covid-19 cases caused by the airborne coronavirus.
Industry groups and Republican lawmakers balked and wanted the administration to end the 14-month-old mask mandate permanently.
The ruling by US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, an appointee of President Donald Trump, came in a lawsuit filed last year in Tampa, Florida, by a group called the Health Freedom Defence Fund. It follows a string of rulings against Biden administration directives to fight the infectious disease that has killed nearly one million Americans, including vaccine or test mandates for employers.
