I am so tired of this darned pandemic. I’m tired of people getting sick and dying. I’m tired of it being politicized. I’m tired of the back and forth with mandates/precautions/regulations while people are still getting sick and dying of Covid. And I’m not a first responder or vital employee, I can’t imagine how tired they are. But I guess I better get used to it all because we’re gonna be here a while longer. And nothing has been more confusing that the ever-changing mask rules in the country. In the latest round of Mask Mandate Roulette, the United States Department of Justice is getting involved. Just last week, the mask mandate for planes, trains and public transit was extended to May 3rd. Then some Trump appointee in Florida decided cloth over our mouths in a contained space was too invasive and overturned the restriction, without notice. Many people were caught off guard, already trapped on a plane, as their fellow travelers ripped their masks off and celebrated as if they’d just announced a sale on lawn gnomes. Well, the DOJ, like most sensible people, thinks that’s a bad idea and they’re looking to appeal it.
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to appeal a Florida judge’s ruling that struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) mask mandate for travel.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle voided the mask mandate for airports, train stations, and other modes of transportation — which was put in place on Feb. 3, 2021, and recently extended to May 3 amid the coronavirus pandemic — writing in court documents seen by PEOPLE that the mask requirement “exceeds the CDC’s statutory authority.”
The DOJ responded to Judge Mizelle’s ruling in a statement Tuesday via spokesman Anthony Coley.
“The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal, subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health,” the statement began.
It added that the DOJ “continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health. That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve.”
“On April 13, 2022, before the district court’s decision, CDC explained that the order would remain in effect while it assessed current public health conditions, and that the Transportation Security Administration would extend its directive implementing the order until May 3 to facilitate CDC’s assessment,” the DOJ continued.
“If CDC concludes that a mandatory order remains necessary for the public’s health after that assessment, the Department of Justice will appeal the district court’s decision.”
In case it was unclear to anyone before, Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle’s decision to get rid of the mask mandate was absolutely political. And the fact that she keeps having Trump’s name attached to her is also political, and terrifying. Once again, the pro-pandemic cult is willing to kill us all over a stupid stand and a moronic candidate. I don’t mind my tax dollars going towards the DOJ battling this twit in Florida. I get that they’re looking for something on the books that can’t be easily undone. And a legal appeal will tie this up in courts if the DOJ wins, which it has a good shot at. I know this won’t end here, but it’ll make things more difficult for the pro-pandemic cult and that’s the next best thing.
As for overturning the mandate, it’s foolish. I’m still getting Covid exposure notices every other day from my kids’ school since they dropped the mandate. Masks are disappearing here, so I wear mine everywhere. I would anyway, but I’m starting not to go to places that I have to remove it for a bit, like restaurants. I don’t know why the airlines are rejoicing about losing masks. They’re already suffering from staff shortages as a result. That’s only going to get worse and means summer travel will be full of last minute flight cancellations and stranded passengers. I can see how flight attendants might be happy they don’t have to battle with belligerent passengers on the mandate anymore. But they aren’t the ones celebrating, especially since they’re the one being exposed. The ones who seem ecstatic over losing the masks are the pilots, the ones safely behind the locked, steel doors who get on the loud-speaker, making slurs against Joe Biden. I don’t know about you, but knowing that some pilots care so little about the lives of their passengers is a bit unsettling.
Photos credit: Laura James and Raven Domingo on Pexels, JEShoots on Unsplash
Second this on the pilots. My brother is a pilot for one of the major airlines and seeing what he and his friends post on social media about masking and public health (not to mention politics) is pretty damn disgusting. They don’t care about passengers, only their pension.
I’m with you on the over-politicizing of all of this. However, for clarity, the judge did *not* reverse the order because of masking per se. The case was called based on a suit arguing the procedural overreach of authority of CDC mandates – she found they worked outside of the required administrative procedures. It’s been instantly and summarily called a “mask reversal” by the media on both sides but reading the actual decision it’s quite different. People need to look beyond headlines.
I will say no
I discovered a cousin on FB a couple of years ago who turned out to be a pilot, which I thought was cool, until I looked at his feed and it was full of Trumper nonsense. Definitely did not pursue any acquaintance!
You and me both. My kid’s school reinstated the mask mandate on Monday. My kid tested positive yesterday. So far, just a lot of congestion and a lot of complaints about being tired (when they aren’t napping). Hopefully, that’s as bad as it gets for them.
We felt it was almost inevitable – they are vaccinated and booted and a (generally) pretty good about wearing a mask, but they do go to school, they eat lunch with their friends, they have a part-time job where masks are optional and they commute by mass transit. I HATE THIS!!!!
Hope your kiddo feels better soon.
Welp… I’m glad I got my trips to WI and NY in before this happened. It p*ssed me off to no end to see arrogant SOBs in the airports either not wearing a mask at all, or as a “chin guard” (not even just when eating/drinking), and not one security person passing asked them to pull it up. Then on the plane, two a$$wips in the first class seats right in front of me took theirs off for a drink, and kept it off the whole time, even when done; the attendant did *nothing*.
At least when I was in NY, the restaurant my nephew works in (that I was at a lot) required proof of vax to hang out in the crowded bar area (but not for the other “dining” side with tables). The theaters asked for proof of vax/ID, and had ushers with “Masks must be worn” signs walking up and down before the plays and at intermission, as the patrons came back into the theater.
Except for that *very* brief time in May/June 2021, when we really thought we had a handle on this (post vaccine, when the numbers dropped so low), I’ve worn my mask indoors and around others. I’ve been doing it ever since, and will continue (goodbye indoor dining!).
Makes me INSANE when people (like my sister and BIL) say, “I’m SO DONE with this virus”… well baby, the virus isn’t done with YOU. Good luck.
OMG yes. I admit to ignorance but I still don’t quite understand how one person in Florida (of all places) has the power to overturn a federal mandate.
And yeah, I get the “someone at your child’s school has tested positive for COVID…” email literally every day, Every day! It’s not even that big a school. Yet masks are still “optional” there.
And yeah again, my husband was on a plane on Tuesday and said the pilot wouldn’t shut up about how wonderful it is that his passengers don’t have to wear masks anymore. What’s the deal with pilots???
Thank you for covering this ❤
And people wonder why I don’t want to covidcation when the infection rates and mask mandates may change between when you buy and when you leave.