United States: a judge cancels the obligation of the mask in public transport – Le Figaro

Joe Biden’s administration has recently found itself under increasing pressure to relax or roll back the mask requirement. A US judge on Monday declared illegal the federal obligation to wear a sanitary mask on public transport in the United States, a measure fiercely fought in court. Read alsoCovid-19: do you still need to get vaccinated? The magistrate, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who sits in Tampa, Florida, considered in her decision that the American Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the main federal health agency, had exceeded their prerogatives by imposing this obligation, which applies in particular to planes, trains, metros and coaches. Read alsoWashington announces a global summit on the Covid-19 on May 12 United Airlines announced Monday that it will no longer impose the wearing of a mask on its flights in the United States, and on certain international flights, according to the rules in the country of arrival. “This means that our employees no longer have to wear a mask – or impose it on passengers, in most cases. They will be able to choose to wear one, especially since the CDC continues to strongly recommend it in public transport, ”detailed a spokesperson for the American group, which had been among the first to impose the anti-Covid vaccine on his employees. ‘Disappointing’ decision Joe Biden’s administration has recently found itself under mounting pressure to relax or roll back the mask requirement. Twenty Republican-led states and several major airlines have called for an end to this measure on planes and other public transport. But last week, federal authorities finally made the decision to extend the mask requirement until at least May 3. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Justice Mizelle’s ruling was “disappointing,” noting that “the CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask on public transportation.” According to a senior White House official, the decision “means that the CDC’s mask-wearing order on public transportation is not in effect at this time.” The Transport Security Agency, the TSA, will not enforce the obligation, said the senior official on condition of anonymity. The Ministry of Justice, which could appeal, did not react immediately.