“That’s Up to Them”: Biden Says People Should Wear Masks on Planes If They Want To
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday (April 19) said wearing a mask on an airplane should be an individual choice after a federal judge blocked a requirement for passengers on public transportation to be masked.
“Should people continue to wear masks on planes?” a reporter asked Biden during a trip to New Hampshire.
“That’s up to them,” the president responded.
Asked in a follow up question if he’ll appeal the ruling, Biden said, “I haven’t spoken to the CDC yet.”
Biden Administration Will Appeal Ruling That Lifted Mask Mandate on Public Transportation
The Biden administration said Tuesday (April 19) it will likely appeal a federal judge’s ruling that struck down mask mandates on planes and other forms of public transportation.
“The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal,” the DOJ said in a statement, “subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health.”
“We are right now in the process of deciding, and we likely will appeal that ruling. Stay tuned,” Biden’s Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said at a news conference in Las Vegas.
Israel Drops Indoor Mask Mandate
Israel will ditch its indoor mask mandate on Saturday (April 23) evening, according to a joint statement by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, as COVID-19 continues to recede.
The decision will not apply in high-risk places—such as hospitals, flights, nursing homes and assisted living facilities—and people on the way to quarantine will still be required to wear a mask.
At present, 220 COVID-19 patients are in a serious condition. Six weeks ago, the figure was almost six times as high.
Indoor mask-wearing across Israel was previously dropped in June 2021 and then restored two weeks later due to a surge in COVID-19 cases of the Delta variant.