At the urging of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Justice on Wednesday filed an appeal to a federal judge’s ruling that overturned the federal mask mandates on airplanes and other modes of public transportation that had been designed to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
Shortly before the DOJ’s announcement, the CDC issued a statement saying it had urged the department to file the appeal now instead of waiting until next month.
“It is CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health,” the agency said in a statement, adding that it believes it is “well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.”
On Tuesday, the Justice Department said it was prepared to proceed with an appeal ― the date the mask order was scheduled to expire until a Florida judge interfered ― if the CDC believed the mask ordinance should continue.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
