Wearing masks in public and while traveling in public vehicles and airplanes was mandatory in the US for many months, even after the pandemic subsided. The CDC’s firm belief that masks were highly effective in preventing the spread of the air-borne novel coronavirus resulted in prolonging the mandate but was highly resented by the public. At the height of public disapproval of masks, people used to ask each other daily when will mask mandate end. Wearing masks during rail and air travel was heavily weighing down upon people. Travelers and airline employees were unable to put up with the inconvenience of covering their faces for long hours. Finally, a court ruling in April ordered the administration to withdraw the mandate, and since then, masks are no more mandatory during travel or when appearing in public.
When will Mask Mandate End? – The Worries are Gone.
On April 19, 2022, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the directive for wearing masks on public transportation that was in force for the past 14 months was unlawful. The court overturned the effort of the Biden administration to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The mask mandate was one of the significant measures of the White House to control the spread of Covid19.
A week before the court ruling, US health officials announced the mandate extension up to May 3. It stipulated that travelers in public transport like trains, airplanes, buses, ride-shares, and taxis must wear masks. Such was the public uproar against the mandate that the topic figured in almost all Biden news of that time.
Causes for the Scrapping of the Mask Mandate
Over the past year, the mass vaccination drives covering most of the population have effectively controlled Covid19 as they offered enough protection. Continuing with the mask mandate seemed unnecessary as it only caused more inconvenience for people, and its protection appeared superficial. However, the CDC was in no mood to take chances because of the possibility of constantly mutating virus striking back at any moment. On the other hand, people considered the mask mandate as an attack on personal freedom and discarded it outright. They received support from Republican lawmakers and the Industry leaders who pressed the administration to scrap the more than a year old mandate permanently.
Earlier in December 2021 When Congress asked airline CEOs testify before them and explain their reasons for not wanting masks for their employees and travelers.
The Lawsuit and the Verdict
The US District judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle passed the ruling in a lawsuit filed by a group called Health Freedom Defense Fund in Tampa last year. The judge said that the CDC had exceeded its authority by not seeking public comment or explaining its decisions adequately. The ruling was in line with several earlier rulings against the Biden administration’s directives to fight Covid19 and other infectious diseases.
As per the court ruling, the Transport Security Administration confirmed that it would stop enforcing mask use; thereby putting an end to the recurring question of when will mask mandate ends.
