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A federal judge in Florida said the Biden administration’s Covid-19 mask mandate for public transportation is unlawful.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, ruled on Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded the authority granted to it under federal public-health law by imposing the mask mandate.
United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) and Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) immediately relaxed the restrictions on all domestic flights after the ruling.
Because the CDC acted beyond its authority, “the court must hold unlawful and set aside the mask mandate as an agency action that is not in accordance with law,” she wrote.
Last week, the Biden administration decided to extend mask requirements for people traveling on airplanes, trains, and transit hubs through April 18.
The White House confirmed that by the consultation of CDC, mask requirements have been extended by a month as the earlier requirements were set to expire on March 18.
Judge Mizelle said CDC does not the power to issue population-wide preventive public-health measures including the mask mandate.
Picture Credits: Reuters