CDC restates recommendation for masks on planes, trains despite court ruling
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials on Tuesday restated their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.
Americans age 2 and older should wear a well-fitting mask while on public transportation, including in airports and train stations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended, citing the current spread of coronavirus and projections of future COVID-19 trends.
For months, the Transportation Security Administration had been enforcing a requirement that passengers and workers wear masks.
The Biden administration will extend for two weeks the nationwide mask requirement for public transportation as COVID-19 cases tick upward, source says.
The government had repeatedly extended the mandate, and the latest one had been set to expire Tuesday. But a federal judge in Florida struck down the rule on April 18. The same day, the TSA said it would no longer enforce the mandate.
The CDC asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision, which the department did. On Tuesday, CDC officials declined to comment on the status of the appeal. Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for information.
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