U.S. Justice Department appeals transportation mask ruling

Reuters

Published Apr 20, 2022 06:05PM ET

Updated Apr 21, 2022 03:55AM ET

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a judge's ruling ending a mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the measure was still needed.

A U.S. district judge ruled on Monday that the mandates, which apply to planes, trains and other public transportation, were unlawful. The Justice Department said it would appeal the ruling if the CDC determined the 14-month-old mandate was still needed.

The Justice Department filed notice appealing the ruling to the 11th Circuit Court, but did not detail if it intended to seek an emergency order to reinstate the requirement or detail the grounds for the appeal.

The CDC said on Wednesday it had asked the Justice Department to proceed with the appeal and that "an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health."

Airlines quickly dropped the mandate Monday evening soon after the White House informed reporters and industry officials that the government would no longer enforce the mandate. Social media users posted videos of airline employees on some trips announcing the mandate had ended mid-flight with many cheering the news, while some expressed anger that the mask rules were abruptly dropped.

The mandate applied to planes, trains, ride-share vehicles and other public transportation and, prior to Monday's ruling, had been due to expire on May 3 unless the CDC sought a new extension.

The U.S. Travel Association said Wednesday that "masks were critically important during the height of the pandemic" but in the current environment "required masking on public transportation is simply out of step with the current public health landscape."