Thursday 09 / May / 2024
The United States will stop enforcing a mask mandate on public transportation after a Florida judge ruled that the directive, first brought in 14 months ago, was unlawful.
All major carriers in the country, including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, and national rail operator Amtrak, relaxed their mask mandates immediately after the announcement.
Last week, US health officials extended the mask mandate to May 3, keeping in place facial covering requirements for travelers on airplanes and trains, as well as in taxis, ride-share vehicles and transit hubs. They said they would need time to assess the impact of a recent rise in cases attributed to airborne coronavirus.
That decision faced heavy pushback from Republican lawmakers and interest groups who had called for an end to the mandate.
