Photo: Contributed A federal judge in Florida has overturned a national mask order covering airplanes and other public transportation in excess of the authority of U.S. health officials. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Michel’s ruling in Tampa on Monday also ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not justify its decision and did not follow the rules. The CDC recently extended the mask mandate, which was set to expire on April 18, to May 3, to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is now responsible for the vast majority of cases in USA The demand for a mask for travelers was the goal of months of lobbying by airlines, which tried to kill it. Air carriers have argued that effective air filters in modern airplanes make transmitting the virus during a flight extremely unlikely. Republicans in Congress also fought to kill the mandate. Critics have hailed the fact that states have withdrawn rules requiring masks in restaurants, shops and other indoor areas, and yet COVID-19 cases have dropped sharply since the Omicron variant peaked in mid-January.
