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News > World

Biden Appeals Ruling Striking Down Travel Mask Mandate

  • A traveler at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., April 14, 2022.

    A traveler at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., April 14, 2022. | Photo: Xinhua

Published 21 April 2022
Opinion

The new strain, called BA.2.12.1, makes up about a fifth of new COVID-19 cases in the country, which increased from 11.4 percent a week before, and 6.9 percent two weeks prior.

President Joe Biden's administration is appealing a federal court ruling that struck down the mask mandate for travelers using public transportation, citing an assessment by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday that a notice of appeal had been filed in light of a CDC assessment that "an order requiring masking in the transportation corridor remains necessary to protect the public health."

The CDC wrote in a statement issued earlier in the day that it "believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health," and "continues to recommend that people wear masks in all indoor public transportation settings."

The appeal came two days after a federal judge ruled that the CDC had exceeded its authority and had failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures in issuing the travel mask mandate. After the judge's ruling on Monday, many airlines ditched their requirements for passengers to wear masks while using their services. Last week, however, the CDC extended the nationwide mask order for public transit for 15 days, as it monitors the uptick in COVID-19 cases.

"With cases going up, the idea of masks going down doesn't make a lot of sense. We're all connected -- the more of us are masked up when Covid is spreading, the safer we all are," former CDC Director Tom Frieden tweeted on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the travel mask mandate is not in effect "because of the court order, which we disagree with. I would say we continue to recommend everyone wear masks on planes." 

While Omicron subvariant BA.2 remains the dominant strain in the United States, a new subvariant is gaining its foothold in the country. The new strain, called BA.2.12.1, makes up about a fifth of new COVID-19 cases in the country, which increased from 11.4 percent a week before, and 6.9 percent two weeks prior.

Around 75 percent of U.S. cases are still caused by BA.2., which has been the dominant variant since late March. The number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 80 million, with over 990,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

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