L.A. County to Continue Requiring Masks at Airports, on Public Transit
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Thursday that the county will keep its mask mandate on public-transportation systems and in airport terminals, days after a federal judge overturned the Biden administration’s mask mandate for air travel and public transportation.
The county mandate applies to all public transportation, including rideshares, trains, and buses, as well as indoor transportation hubs such as bus and airport terminals. Everyone two years old and older is subject to the mandate, regardless of their vaccination status.
“Public Health will reassess the indoor masking requirement when COVID-19 community transmission in Los Angeles County drops to the Moderate level, OR the CDC’s assessment is that an order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is no longer necessary for protection of the public’s health, OR within 30 days of this Order, whichever occurs first,” the department said in a statement.
The announcement comes after a federal judge in Florida overturned the national transportation mask mandate on Monday after finding that the CDC overstepped its authority.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled that the mandate violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because it was implemented “without allowing public participation through the APA’s notice and comment procedures.”
Shortly after the ruling was issued on Monday, United, Delta, Alaska, American, and Southwest Airlines all dropped their mask requirements. Uber and Lyft followed suit one day later.
However, while the Metro in Washington, D.C., has made masking optional, New York City’s subway system is still requiring face coverings.
The CDC announced Wednesday that it asked the Justice Department to appeal the mask-mandate ruling. President Biden said Thursday that the Justice Department is appealing the ruling as a “matter of principle.”
Meanwhile, United CEO Scott Kirby told NBC’s The Today Show that it is “very unlikely” the mandate will return soon.
