United States: the government wants to restore the wearing of compulsory masks in transport

Passengers wearing the mask in the Los Angeles subway, in December 2021. (Illustration) AFP - MARIO TAMA

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The legal battle over the wearing of masks in transport in the United States continues.

The Department of Justice will appeal the decision of a federal judge in Florida to lift the obligation to wear the mask on public transport.

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With our correspondent in Washington,

The Biden administration was waiting for the recommendation from the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, before making a decision.

She came on Wednesday evening.

As the health authority believes that wearing a mask is still necessary, the US government has therefore announced that it is appealing the court decision taken earlier this week.

The obligation to wear the mask in public transport had just been extended by two weeks when the federal judge of Tampa, Kathryn Mizall Kimbell, appointed by

, had decided Monday evening that the CDC had exceeded its prerogatives.

Wearing a mask, a sensitive subject

In the wake of the judge's decision,

have lifted the mask requirement, introduced in 2020, causing passengers both concern and relief based on their opinion on this

Wearing a mask is a very sensitive subject, especially for flight attendants and stewardesses.

For two years, they have had to face the reluctance of many passengers, some sometimes becoming violent.

A further 744 mask-related incidents have been reported since the start of the year.

All transport organizations emphasize that everyone is free to continue wearing the mask.

And the White House continues to recommend it for flying.

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• United States

• Coronavirus