Biden administration scrambles next steps on travel mask mandate

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is at a crossroads with one of the last visible signs of epidemicmasks on the plane, as officials scramble to determine their next steps.

One rule by a federal judge on Monday dismissed the Biden administration’s mandate that masks be worn on planes, trains and other public transportation has The White House caught off guard. A day later, administration officials were still considering what additional actions they could take, people familiar with the matter said.

The question of action to be taken, if any, poses a complex political, health and legal challenge for the administration as it tries to chart a new direction for the nation around living with the virus. while remaining vigilant about the threat posed by new variants.

Biden, asked by reporters on Tuesday whether Americans should wear masks, said “it’s up to them.” He said he has not spoken to the CDC since the ruling.

The administration’s next potential legal move would be to ask the appeals court to issue an emergency stay to block the judge’s ruling. But the Justice Department did not immediately make that move on Monday, allowing the mandate to be lifted and people to start going. no mask on the plane.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that it could take days for the Justice Department to challenge the ruling and that the administration believes the mask rule should have been upheld.

“The CDC says it needs 15 days to assess the impact of the increase on hospital admissions, deaths and hospital capacity, which we still feel is entirely reasonable based on science. latest,” Psaki said Tuesday. “Public health decisions should not be made by the courts. They should be made by public health professionals.”

A person close to the administration said there was concern inside the White House that the US could lose on the appeal. The person said officials at Health and Human Services are still debating their next move.

Inside the White House, some officials don’t see the ruling as important because the mandate is likely to be lifted in more than a week anyway, a senior administration official said.

At the same time, the official said polls show Democrats favor face coverings and so the court’s decision could allow Biden to gain credit from members of his party for having take a prudent approach to public health. So while some Democrats see the White House position as a missed opportunity to win credit from many Americans for facilitating a huge symbolic and practical transition. During the pandemic, there would be some risk if Biden took that approach should there be another spike in Covid cases, the official said.

Health experts say that while the ruling only ends the mask’s shelf life a few days before it expires, the decision not to appeal risks setting a dangerous precedent for the way in which masks are given. future public health decisions.

Richard Besser, the former acting director of the CDC, said in an interview on “TODAY”: “If the CDC loses its power to prevent the spread of infectious diseases between states or entering the country, . . “So I expect this ruling to be challenged because in the next pandemic, the next major public health crisis, we want the CDC to be able to put in place reasonable, ground-based restrictions science to protect people’s health.”

Politically, though, it could benefit Democrats, who are trying to leave masked duties following public backlash among independents and censors. prior to the 2022 midterm elections.

“People want to get back to normal, so in the short term, easing the masking mandate could help with that politically,” said Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin, who served as strategist. Senior member for the largest super PAC backing Biden in the 2020 election, said. Priorities USA. “The danger is if this change also leads to higher infection rates over time and further expansion of the pandemic.”

The White House has largely taken a tight-lipped approach to the decision on how long the federal travel mask mandate will continue, saying it will leave the decision up to the Centers for Control and Prevention. disease prevention.

The CDC last week said it would extend the expiration date of the travel mask to May 3 instead of letting it expire on Monday to give the agency more time to monitor whether the increase in cases lead to an increase in the severity of the disease.

Immediately after the ruling, Psaki said the decision was “disappointing” and that people should continue to wear masks on public transport.

The White House said on Tuesday masks were still required for those traveling with Biden on his trip to New Hampshire.

Alex Seitz-Wald contribute.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here