Story at a glance
- Videos went viral earlier this week showing some airline cabins erupting into applause mid-flight as pilots informed passengers they were free to abandon the face coverings.
- But not everyone is celebrating the shift, as some health experts and others expressed concern that ditching the mandate was premature.
- A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs conducted in the days before the move found most Americans still continue to support the mask requirement.
Americans appear to be divided over a Trump-appointed judge’s decision to end the nation’s federal mask mandate on public transportation as the Biden administration weighs whether to appeal the abrupt ruling issued Monday.
Videos went viral earlier this week showing some airline cabins erupting into applause mid-flight as pilots informed passengers they were free to abandon the face coverings that have been required for nearly two years to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. This is the most important announcement I’ve ever made. The federal mask mandate is over. Take off your mask if you choose!” an Alaska Air pilot told passengers Monday.
Meanwhile, a separate video showed one flight crew playing Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” over the plane’s speakers following news of the ruling.
Outspoken Republicans who have opposed mandates over the course of the pandemic also applauded the ruling. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) tweeted that airline employees and passengers “deserve to have this misery end.”
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But not everyone is celebrating the shift, as some health experts and others expressed concern ditching the mandate was premature.
“For people who are immunosuppressed, flying in the US just got less safe. We’re tired of Covid but masks are a small price to pay to save lives and keep our economy growing,” former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Tom Frieden tweeted.
While the anecdotes only capture snapshots of how Americans feel about the decision, a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs conducted in the days before the move found most Americans still continue to support the mask requirement.
The poll found 56 percent of Americans are in favor of requiring passengers and crew on planes, trains and public transportation to mask up, while 24 percent were opposed and 20 percent said they were neither in favor nor opposed. Along party lines, 80 percent of Democrats favored the mandate while 5 percent opposed. Forty-five percent of Republicans said they were opposed compared with 33 percent in favor.
The decision to end the mandate comes as there’s been an uptick in the number of new COVID-19 cases, although infections remain relatively low. According to the CDC, the current seven-day moving average of daily new cases is more than 31,000, an increase of 19 percent from the previous week.
The Department of Justice said it would appeal the ruling nullifying the federal mandate if the CDC determined the order is necessary for the public’s health. The White House urged Americans to continue to wear masks on public transportation, although President Biden on Tuesday said it’s ultimately up to individuals to make that decision for themselves.
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