U.S. District Judge Strikes Down CDC Mask Mandate for Airplanes and Other Public Transport

Posted on 04/18/2022

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In a 59-paged ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle argued Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overstepped its authority. She argued the CDC did not not follow proper rulemaking. Earlier, the CDC extended the mask mandate on airplanes, airports, and forms of public transport in the U.S. The mask mandate was set to expire on April 18, 2022. The mandate requires face masks on airplanes, the subway, trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation.

Part of the ruling read, “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.”

The U.S. Justice Department could attempt to block the ruling and file an appeal on behalf of the Biden administration.

COVID-19 cases have fallen sharply since the variant peaked in mid-January 2022. U.S. airline companies and a large portion of travelers have fought against the mask mandate on airplanes. Furthermore, the U.S. government has recorded a rise in violent incidents on planes that have been attributed to mask-mandates on planes.