The government only needed two years to develop a sensible masking policy. Joe Biden stated Tuesday that the choice of whether to wear a mask is up to each individual while speaking to reporters about his New Hampshire infrastructure bill.
While every airline, bus company, and public transport service is changing or ending their mask policies, we are still exactly where we were two years ago. It should be an individual choice and not a mandate from the government to mask.
This is a welcome development. Imagine how much national anguish we could have avoided if this was the government’s policy right from the beginning.
Our cognitively impaired president forgot to tell the Justice Department that he had directed them to appeal the Florida federal judge’s decision that ended the transportation mask mandate. As the public health agency tries to keep the mask mandate alive, the DoJ has its back.
Washington Examiner
Hours after a federal judge revoked the mask mandate, several airlines removed their mask mandates. After the Biden administration extended it last week, the mask mandate was set to expire on May 3. However, the CDC’s assessment regarding current transmission rates attributed to the BA.2 omicron Subvariant meant that the requirement would not be able to be lifted.
The DOJ stated Tuesday night that CDC had explained to the court that the order would continue in force while it assesses current health conditions and that the Transportation Security Administration would extend the directive implementing that order until May 3, to aid CDC’s assessment. The Department of Justice will appeal the decision of the district court if the CDC determines that a mandatory order is still necessary to protect the public’s safety and health.
It is not clear why Biden won’t abandon the mandate for masks on buses, trains, and planes. The argument is lost by the government. Mandating masks at the moment — and for only two more weeks — is futile.
CNBC:
The DOJ stated Tuesday that it believes that the order requiring masking along the transportation corridor was a valid exercise of Congress’ authority to the CDC to protect public health.
The agency stated, “That is an important authority which the Department will continue to work to preserve.”
Mizelle’s ruling was made days after the CDC had decided to keep its mask mandate in effect until May 3, while it evaluated the threat of Covid infections and hospital capacity.
Spectator USA describes masking as “performative safetyism” and mid-flight announcements about the mandate’s ending on commercial flights were a cause of joy.
After being given instructions by the ground, the pilot of the plane returned to the cockpit and declared that masks were not required. The pilot then told the passengers that masks were no longer necessary and invited them to throw them in the trash. There was a huge cheer as crew and passengers felt a sense of relief from Washington’s tyranny. They had been demanding compliance for nearly two years despite the fact that “the science” had repeatedly shown that masks were of no use in stopping Covid spreading and can cause psychological harm.
Washington did not understand the objection to masks. They chalked it up to typical right-wing ignorance and conspiracy-mongering. They enforced the mandate without any understanding of why many of us found it difficult to tolerate an intrusion on liberty and happiness.
They now know.
