CINCINNATI — Metro and TANK buses, as well as the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, will not enforce any kind of mask mandate after a federal judge in Florida voided the national mask mandate Monday. The change applies to both travelers and employees.
The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention improperly failed to justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking.
The four largest U.S. airlines announced that mask mandates for domestic flights would be dropped, the New York Timesreported after executives wrote a letter to President Biden last month asking that the requirements be allowed to expire.
President Joe Biden's administration had recently extended the mandate until May 3. On Monday the White House announced that it will be reviewing the decision but confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration will stop enforcing a mask mandate.
The Transportation Security Administration officially acknowledged the matter releasing a statement on Monday writing, “Due to today’s court ruling, effective immediately, TSA will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs. TSA will also rescind the new Security Directives that were scheduled to take effect tomorrow. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.”
Pilots and flight attendants I spoke to so far this morning are pleased with mask drop. Here’s statement from one union. @wcpo pic.twitter.com/ng9mSOVt6G
— Courtney Francisco (@CFranciscoWCPO) April 19, 2022
Flight attendant announcements on planes were met with cheers from some. Others were apprehensive.
“Our comfort level is to air on the side of being a little more conservative,” said Kimber Greenwood.
“We travel a lot of work and having young children who weren't eligible to be vaccinated until recently, it’s given us a lot of peace of mind," Greenwood said. "This is the healthiest we've ever been.” said Greenwood.
Greenwood and her family remained masked traveling through CVG.
One Cincinnati flight attendant said it is a relief to not have to enforce it on unruly passengers. WCPO 9News is waiting for data on how many flights were grounded at CVG due to non-compliance and how many people police cited for disorderly conduct related to masks over the past two years.
“I flew to Las Vegas a few months ago, and they were like passengers were so upset that they're having to wear their masks,” said Aida Derakovic, a travel nurse who has flown throughout the pandemic. “If I’m not feeling well, I would definitely take the precautions to not spread something that could be spreadable."
Uber also announced Tuesday that they would no longer enforce any mask mandate.
