The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday that the US government is appealing a controversial court ruling earlier this week that removed the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transportation.
Ministry spokesman Anthony Cooley said that following the assessment by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highest US health authority, that “the imposition of a protective mask on public transportation remains necessary to protect public health, the ministry has filed a notification to appeal this ruling.” .
On Monday, a US federal judge abolished the mandatory wearing of protective masks on public transportation, an order imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden.
Judge Catherine Kimball-Miesel of the Florida Central District Court said the imposition of protective masks exceeds the legal authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And the centers recently extended the decision to impose the wearing of masks on planes, trains, subways, buses, taxis and other means of transportation until May 3, in light of the increase in Covid infections.
After the court ruling, many major airlines began to abandon the requirement to wear masks on domestic and some international flights, as well as transportation services “Uber”, “Lyft” and the national rail company, Amtrak.
Opinion polls indicate that the majority of Americans support the mandatory protective mask in indoor and enclosed spaces, amid a clear opposition minority.
And a survey conducted by YouGov America on April 18 showed that 63% support “strongly” or “to some extent” the US government’s imposition of masks on public transportation.