UPDATE 6:30PM ET:
Just hours after stating it would continue to enforce the mask mandate, United Airlines now says it will no longer require masks onboard or at airports. Live and Let’s Fly has obtained the following communication that just went out to employees:
Effective immediately, masks are no longer required on board domestic flights, select international flights (dependent upon the arrival country’s mask requirements) or at U.S. airports.
This change comes after a decision by a federal judge voiding the federal mask mandate. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in the event of changes.
While this means that you are no longer required to wear a mask – and no longer have to enforce a mask requirement for most of the flying public – we ask that you respect the decision of those employees or customers who choose to do so, as the CDC continues to recommend wearing a mask on public transit.
At the moment, there will be no changes to testing requirements for entry into the U.S.
The original story is below.
Earlier today, a federal judge struck down the CDC mask mandate, ruling that it overstepped the agency’s statutory authority. Even so, United Airlines will continue to enforce masks onboard its flights.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Mask Mandate
US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the mask mandate today, arguing in a 59-page ruling that the mandate violated administrative law and represented an overstep of statutory authority by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Specifically, the case centered on the meaning of word sanitation. Mizelle argued the 1944 statute, which the federal government used to justify the mandate, only permits “measures that clean something.”
“Wearing a mask cleans nothing. At most, it traps virus droplets. But it neither ‘sanitizes’ the person wearing the mask nor ‘sanitizes’ the conveyance.”
Therefore, according the Mizelle, “Because the CDC required mask wearing as a measure to keep something clean–explaining that it limits the spread of COVID-19 through prevention, but never contending that it actively destroys or removes it–the mask mandate falls outside of §264(a).”
She further found that the mandate “forcibly removed from airplane seats, denied board at the bus steps, and turned away at the train station doors” amounting to a “detention and quarantine” that exceeded the authority of the federal government.
“As a result, the Mask Mandate is best understood not as sanitation, but as an exercise of the CDC’s power to conditionally release individuals to travel despite concerns that they may spread a communicable disease (and to detain or partially quarantine those who refuse). But the power to conditionally release and detain is ordinarily limited to individuals entering the United States from a foreign country.”
Mizelle also called the mandate “arbitrary and capricious” because it failed to explain its reasoning.
It is not clear if the Biden Administration will appeal today’s ruling. The mask mandate is set to expire on May 3, 2022.
United Airlines: Masks Still Required Onboard
Even with the federal ruling striking down the mask mandate, United Airlines will continue to require masks onboard
United Airlines told its employees this afternoon:
The federal requirement that masks be worn on board aircraft and in airports remains in effect for both customers and employees, despite the decision by a federal judge on Monday that struck down the federal mask mandate. The federal mandate originally went into effect in February 2021 but has been extended a number of times. We await additional information from the federal government on whether it will challenge the ruling or rescind the order. Until that time, the airport mask policy remains unchanged.
Live and Let’s Fly reached out to other airlines for comment, but did not hear back ahead of press time. However, it is a safe guess at this point that airlines will officially continue to defer to the federal government and require masks onboard until it receives guidance otherwise.
CONCLUSION
A federal judge in Florida has stuck down the mask mandate on public transport, immediately vacating the CDC rules which requires masks on trains, busses, and airplanes. Even so, United Airlines will maintain masking requirements until it hears from the federal government. I expect other airlines to do likewise.
image: United Airlines
Good for United. Glad to see this.
Tom,
I’ll assume you are vaxed and booster…so, if that is the case and you decide to wear a mask on plane, why does it matter what anyone else does? What specific scientific or statistical data are you using that tells you that you are still at any risk of catching covid, and beyond that you risk of any serious complications if you do? If you have any logical answer then I’d say yes, go ahead and exert your paranoia over everyone else. I sure hope you breathalyze all drivers on the road when you go out, never drink out of plastic, go in the sun or eat processed food, sugar, fats, or use social media or do any of the other things that pose a far great risk to your physical and mental health.
*and ‘i’m doing it for all the other at risk people’ is not an answer.
Four words for you: “breakthrough rate” and “long COVID.”
I know fully vaccinated people who are catching COVID and suffering symptoms for extended periods of time. In New York State, for instance, breakthrough rates among fully vaccinated people are back up to their highest rates since January.
No single level of protection is 100% effective, so the more people who are both fully vaxxed and masked, the lower the rate of transmission.
And why isn’t ‘i’m doing it for all the other at risk people’ an answer?
Just because you’re apparently too selfish to understand the societal benefits of masking for others, especially at risk people, doesn’t mean that we’re all that selfish.
I love how it makes me selfish. How about, if you are so afraid, don’t go out. And yes, people still get it. You didn’t really address anything else I said other than long COVID….ok, long sun exposure, long everything else on my list. Have you ever had alcohol? Long COVID is a theory. You didn’t actually answer anything I raised other than 4 words that are utterly meaningless. For example, what are the demographics of people dying or ending in the ICU or suffering long term? Is it 20 year olds? Is it 39 year olds? Give some actual data, tell me, what scientific evidence is there that someone masked, vaxed, boosted has risk on a plane if others are not wearing masks? For example, if you are under 40 you chances of ending up in the ICU are less than dying of a gunshot in NYC, or car accident or an opioid overdose.
You won’t give me any hard data on the breakdowns because it only makes you look ridiculous. Oh no, I have a .001% chance of dying of COVID now, I’m so scared. If if you’re going to throw out a global death number like it is somehow significant then also explain the demographics of what makes up that number – age, pre-existing conditions, obesity, were they vaxed and boosted an wearing masks all the time…
At what point are you satisfied? COVID will never go away so you think we should just all wear masks all the time for ever.
Me Selfish? How about the minority of people who are actually at high risk imposing their fears on everyone else instead of staying home. I think it’s incredibly selfish for someone to force me to do something when they are the ones scared. If you are that scared given the real data (you 4 words are not data in case you didn’t realize that) then stay home. If you are that concerned about other people, tell me – how many times to stop someone in the street to make sure they’re wearing sun block, how many times to see someone texting on their phone while driving and report them, how many times do you see someone eating red meat and tell them to stop.
Mind your own business and manager your own life, not mine.
Someone who’s not wearing sunblock or who’s eating red meat doesn’t leave me or my loved one with a genetic immunodeficiency vulnerable to an infectious disease.
People like you who don’t care if they spread it do.
“How about the minority of people who are actually at high risk imposing their fears on everyone else instead of staying home. ”
That is the epitome of selfish. Your suggestion is that people like my family member, who, through no fault of their own, and despite being vaxxed and wearing N95 masks, should be forced, to stop living their lives because too many people are too scared and/or stupid to get vaccinated and too selfish and/or weak-willed to wear a mask.
Apparently people like you.
Your business *is* my business, because my family member is vulnerable. And it’s not because of obesity or bein g old. It’s because they were born 20 or so years ago with a condition that makes them vulnerable. They’ve taken all the steps they can. And *you* can’t be bothered to do the slightest thing to keep them and everyone else safe. Because it’s inconvenient for you.
As Merriam-Webster defines “selfish”:
concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others.
If you’re going to be selfish, at least be man enough to own it and admit that’s what you are.
@Greg
It is selfish of you to think that everyone else in society should take a mitigation measure that has ZERO proof of efficacy, and in some cases proof of NEGATIVE efficacy. The very fact that mitigation efforts have done nothing to stop the spread of the virus and perhaps even made the vaccinated more susceptible to getting infected (see data from UK and Israel, for example) should tell you that requiring others to take actions to assuage your (understandable) fears for your family member is wrong. Extraordinary measures should require extraordinary proof. There is nothing approaching that with masks or vaccines.
Sorry, one more thing on your selfish comment…
Do you think obese people are selfish by your logic? Obesity is 100% preventable (or 99%+ I understand some people have issues actually beyond their control) and it is the single biggest strain on our healthcare system (heat disease, diabetes, cancers, etc,,,) those things impact everyone. I think it was also the #1 risk factor in serious COVID complications other than age. I could go on and on…curious about your thought there.
Again, you’re missing my point. Obesity isn’t contagious, so I’m not concerned about that in the same way I am about unmasked people who may not even know they’re carrying COVID.
@Greg
Please search for “obesity contagious” on the interwebs. You will come across a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at Harvard.
From the New York Times article that covered it:
“Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When a person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too.
“Their study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 until 2003. The investigators knew who was friends with whom, as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades. That let them examine what happened over the years as some individuals became obese. Did their friends also become obese? Did family members or neighbors?
“The answer, the researchers report, was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent.”
Given that obesity is largely a matter of personal choice and that the healthcare system is heavily burdened with illnesses related to obesity, do you not think the obese should be subject to your accusation of selfishness? The pandemic is largely a pandemic of the old (which can’t be helped) and the obese (which can be). One’s chances of dying if young and healthy are virtually nil, despite what the media’s hysterical, pseudo-scientific coverage of the pandemic would have you believe. If one is fat? Well, perhaps one should lose weight. One has had two years to do it.
Just boarded a United flight and they are still requiring masks. 🙁
You don’t have to wear a mask. Show them the latest tweet from United.
Perfect, I showed her and Captain confirmed. Sweet!
The language United uses in its communication is problematic, and probably not vetted by its in-house counsel.
“The ***federal requirement*** that masks be worn on board aircraft and in airports ***remains in effect*** for both customers and employees, ***despite the decision by a federal judge*** on Monday that ***struck down the federal mask mandate***.”
Emphasis mine. Technically, as I sit here right now at 4:56pm on the East Coast, 4/18/22, the mandate has been struck down and is of no legal effect. United should revise its statement to say that it will continue to require masks to be worn on its flights, as a (legal) privately-imposed obligation, until further guidance is obtained from the federal government as to whether a stay on enforcement of the order is obtained.
Despite my generally dim view of the legal basis underlying this decision, I support it wholeheartedly and wonder if the DOJ just takes the L on this one and walks away, in consideration of the strong public favor to end the mandates. I also think the DOJ should go public with guidance for airlines because this places airline crewmembers (who are substantially just as fed-up with the mandates as we are) squarely in the crosshairs, once again, of enforcing directives in a confusing legal environment. They didn’t sign up for this.
Personally, I can’t wait to see this go away. Nothing at all is stopping anyone from wearing a properly fit-tested, N95 mask (without facial hair), at all times (no eating or drinking) if they wish to take best practices to avoid contracting COVID-19. Everything else is just theater.
This os going to be a nightmare to enforce. Will united back employees attempting to enforce this policy?? Will they ban masses of people who don’t obey?? Doubt it. The frontline employees, especially the flight attendants, are being put in an IMPOSSIBLE position.
Matthew,
The airlines did hear from the federal government today. The government said the mask mandate is unconstitutional. The judicial branch is a coequal branch with the executive branch, that implemented the mandate.
If UA wants to go full woke and keep the masks on, that is their choice. But no reason to defer to the executive branch when the judicial branch already provided guidance
The court did not hold the mask mandate unconstitutional. It held that CDC exceeded its statutory authority because it didn’t affect “sanitation” within the meaning of the relevant law. Congress could pass a law authorizing a mask mandate, which might or might not be held constitutional.
“Unconstitutional” and “exceeding statutory authority” are two very different concepts.
Further, UA should simply say they are enforcing their previous mask mandate. That would of course, not require masks to be replaced between bites and sips (which I have never seen enforced in the premium cabins anyways)
The ruling of the judge the ABA found “not qualified” is technically really only binding in her district and other judges are free to make other findings. The real question is whether the CDC appeals and gets a stay, then moots the decision any way by lifting on May 3.
The federal mandate is still legally in place everywhere except the Middle District of Florida.
Well… that’s not exactly how it works… a federal district court can, in fact, enjoin the nationwide enforcement of a federal law or regulation, though it absolutely raises a number of unresolved questions of constitutional law. We’ve seen that a number of times over the last few years. I’d argue the type of piecemeal review and geographic limitation on enforcement of federal law is a bad, bad idea. More appropriate would be restriction against whom the enforcement is sought (i.e., specific litigants) but again that opens up new cans of worms with their own unintended consequences.
Our current procedure requires that until such time as the Eleventh Circuit stays enforcement of today’s Order pending appellate review, to the extent the DOJ requests the same, the mask mandate is presently unlawful.
Whatever little credibility the CDC had left before this is now completely gone. It’s purely a partisan organization operating under the guise of public health.
Amen….
And awomen! Preach on, CongressBIPOCperson Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri!
100%
My preference for broccoli remains in effect, despite my decision today that I no longer like broccoli.
The right thing for the DOJ to do here, is probably what @GKK said above: just take the L. This judge’s ruling was political posturing, considering her very obvious lack of qualification for the post and her ties to DJT (though I admire anyone who has ascended to a position like hers at such a young age). At the same time, the DOJ trying to actually fight this in an appeal does nothing to really benefit anyone other than their ego, assuming the intent was for it to actually expire 3 May anyway.
Both sides of the aisle are so childish, and I wish Washington would actually work for the good of the people, and not just for the good of their donors/base.
“Obvious lack of qualification for the post?” You make it sound as if she was chosen based on arbitrary traits like, I don’t know, gender and race? LOL
I understand you’re trying to get a dig in at KBJ, but your feelings don’t change the fact that Judge Mizelle has never tried a single case in her career.
Neither had Elena Kagan, but she sits on the United States Supreme Court. Got a problem with that?
I don’t believe Supreme Court Justices should be required to have been judges before. But Elena Kagan and this judge in Florida are wildly different cases in terms of experience with the law and policy.
Elena Kagan was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, Associate White House Counsel, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, a professor at and then Dean of Harvard Law School, and US Solicitor General, the last position being one in which she represented the government in argument before the Supreme Court.
Mizelle spent a year clerking for a federal judge in Tampa, 10 months at Jones Day, and 3 years in the tax division of DOJ.
Mizelle was a Supreme Court clerk for Clarence Thomas.
It doesn’t surprise me that UA, the airline that fired employees to appease Brandon, is also the first to continue to kowtow to Brandon’s misplaced mandates, but I am thinking to be safe, the rest of the airlines would ride out these last two weeks.
As I’ve said before this is not the biggest deal to me (since enforcement is noticeably more lax in recent times) but let’s talk about that 1-day pre-departure test…
Update: I am glad I’m wrong on the govt/airlines keeping the mask requirements!
Brandon still requires EVERYONE on an inbound plane to the USA to be vaxxed — a negative test or proof of recovery is enough for the rest of the world but not enough for the totalitarians pulling the strings of the fading corrupt half-wit nominally “in charge”.
US citizens arriving from overseas are not required to be vaccinated. Foreign nationals are, and must have a negative COVID test.
US citizens only have to have a negative COVID test.
“United Airlines will maintain masking requirements until it hears from the federal government.”
United just heard from the federal government, but just didn’t hear what the wokesters in charge wanted to hear.
Remember wokesters, you don’t get to pick and choose which woke rules you get to obey. You can’t just switch on and off the ones you don’t like when it suits you. If you’re woke, you’re 100% woke 100% of the time, which means you wear your virtue-signalling mask regardless of federal judges but also you hate Elon Musk, you hate Russia and STILL BELIEVE they messed with the 2016 election, you cheer on the man in the women’s swimming pool (because she’s a she after all: she says so), you agree 100% with Greta, and you’re ready to report to the proper authorities any wrongspeak so that the guilty lost their jobs/families or their lives.
You can’t just have one bite; you have to eat the whole woke burrito.
I would speculate that United is right in the middle of lobbying the administration for a few hundred billion more free tax payer $.
My thought as well.
“We await additional information from the federal government on whether it will challenge the ruling or rescind the order. Until that time, the airport mask policy remains unchanged.”
The key lines. Seems United may get rid of it if the admin decides not to go forward with it or loses in court. It’s a political loser IMO if they try to drag this out and so close to a November election… not sure they fight this hard.
Time to update the story – United will no longer enforce mask mandate on domestic flights or select international flights. Communication just went out.
TSA will not enforce Covid mask mandate on planes, public transit after court ruling, White House says
The ruling is nationwide, so there there is now no federal rule in effect as a court ruled it illegal. Sort of makes sense since there was no mandate when Biden got into office, and then the rule was rushed through in Feb 2021 as an “emergency”, after vaccines were in existence, and for a year as the case load plummeted. And then airlines at the very beginning said they were the safest places to be since they recycle the air so often. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?
It’s not like the executive branch can just ignore courts – remember all that “losing our democracy” rhetoric? Tell me when exactly it applies, because ignoring court orders is one of those things that falls under “losing our democracy”. Oh, yeah, democrats can ignore democracy if they don’t like the outcome, I forgot about that.
Anyway there is now no legal penalty for not wearing a mask. As a private airline I suppose they could say our plane, our rules, but they can only enforce it with trespassing complaints. There are now no fines by any government.
If anyone wants to wear a mask on their own, no one will stop you, but I find it interesting maskers want to force their beliefs on everyone else, far, far after the virus is dangerous, when masking is proven to do nothing, on a place that is claimed to be the safest on earth before masking was even required.
I am flying Southwest tomorrow and will refuse to wear a mask. Will be interesting to see what happens.
There are already anecdotes / reports that US airlines have been dropping the mask madate immediately, even in mid-flight. By tomorrow the news would have already spread like Omicron BA.69 and I surmise you wouldn’t have a problem tomorrow.
So this is all moot now that TSA has announced it will no longer enforce the mask mandate. I am pleased that masks are no longer required and think it should have been made voluntary at the last renewal. But I completely disagree with the judge’s ruling, as it flies in the face of multiple rulings up to and including the Supreme Court. But yet another wacko in Florida thinks they singularly have the right to determine what the government can do to regulate public health.
Just a reminder of who this judge is: “A former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Mizelle was 33 at the time of her confirmation. She had been rated “not qualified” by the American Bar Association for “the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience.”
We can debate the timing of lifting the mask mandate, I personally think it was overdue, but one person should not dictate the health and welfare decisions for an entire population. As others have speculated, the government is likely going along with the decision for political reasons, but if it was another point in the pandemic this would have been immediately appealed and thrown out.
And yet this millennial judge is more in touch with the majority of the American public than the septuagenarian who picked a VP and a supreme court justice mainly because of their gender and race.
The law has nothing to do with being “in touch with the majority of the American public”, in fact it’s supposed to be the complete opposite: you’re supposed to rule by statute and precedent, not on what people want. It’s Congress and the President who are supposed to reflect the will of the people, judges can only overturn their laws and rulings if they violate existing legal rulings/precedent. It doesn’t matter whether Biden’s order was popular or whether you or I agree with it (I didn’t), this had been litigated in the past all the way to the Supreme Court. She had no basis for overturning.
And you see no issue with a judge with no experience who’s rejected by a non-partisan legal board who’ve vetted judges for decades, but resort to calling out the age, sex and gender of those you disagree with? Yes, you certainly seem to know better.
The Senate already voted 57-40 to overturn the mask mandate.
Pelosi for some reason wouldn’t bring the vote to the house.
It doesn’t matter what inexperience claims you want to attack this judge with, it’s moot because she’s made the right decision. And I am glad that the CDC has been knocked down a peg.
And yes, I will double down that the senile Septuagenarian picked a VP based mainly on race and gender and that has been bad for America (Jury’s out on how the SCOTUS pick will play out)
You sound educated.
“…but one person should not dictate the health and welfare decisions for an entire population.”
Except for Joe and his Executive Orders, because he’s the king after all and we’re just subjects.
Oh come on, we ELECTED Biden as President, which means he has some (very) limited executive authority, just as Trump, Obama, Bush, on down the line exercised their own executive authorities. Many people questioned whether Biden overstepped that authority – it was litigated and the executive branch won. This judge just decided to ignore that – not surprising given her background.
You are begging the question of the legitimacy of the “imperial Presidency.” Were you among those who questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election in 2016? Kemp’s defeat of Abrams?
No, I wasn’t. Trump was legitimately elected, just as Biden was. And you and I may support electoral reforms for different reasons, but I don’t debate that anyone currently in office was elected according to the current rules in place at the time, regardless of whether it was the outcome I preferred.
UNITED rising great to see them take the lead
Take the lead in what now
It’s about time that the mask issue becomes voluntary for both passengers and employees…. although I am sure there will an idiot or two at times having a little fit that the flight attendant is not wearing the mask. lol… a new set of whining.
Want to wear a N95 on a flight? Be My Guest!!!!!
Any chance clothing mandate is unconstitutional too? Under what authority can goverment force people to wear clothes?
Airline enforces dress code, not government.
Airport is goverment property. Airline property starts from the door of the aircraft.
Why doesn’t the Florida judge also rescind the mandate for wearing clothes.
There’s a difference between decent exposure and indecent exposure. Go look in the mirror naked to check where you lie.
Indecent exposure is a social construct. Some bunch of white men that keep power through church decided what is decent and what is indecent. You don’t go to African tribes and tell them to cover up. Again what is the government’s need to enforce that people wear clothes?
Again, government doesn’t enforce that on airplanes.
There’s plenty of people who’s faces would qualify as indecent exposure. If you aren’t a 7 out of 10 or above you should be required to wear a mask because looking at you makes me sick.
Nice try, troll. >:-(
Nothing was ruled unconstitutional. Illegal and not within the CDC’s statutory authority, yes.
Very different things, and issues of consitutionality were never in question here. Do people know so little about they law that they think every judicial decision is based on a constitutional issue? The VAST majority don’t even touch the Constitution.
I’ll probably continue to wear a mask for the time being, but it will be nice to not have to worry about taking your mask off “too long” while eating. The mandate I’m really hoping that will end soon is the testing requirement for international travel…
Andy,
Please feel free to wear your mask if it makes you feel safe.
I respect your choice as I would expect you to reciprocate that respect for someone who chooses not to mask.
That’s really all it takes…for each of us to respect someone else’s choice.
The choices aren’t the same.
Choosing to wear a quality mask makes it *less* likely that someone might transmit a potentially deadly infectious disease.
Choosing *not* to wear a quality mask makes it *more* likely that someone might transmit a potentially deadly infectious disease.
Scientists can argue about the degree of effect that a quality mask may have at reducing the likelihood of transmission by an infected person, but it is clear that it is greater than zero.
Lysenkoist, kindly direct us to a study that conclusively demonstrates the efficacy of masks (even N95s) in stopping the spread of viral respiratory infections. Wearing a mask (assuming you are not symptomatic and coughing and sneezing droplets all around you) will protect you and those in your proximity about as well as a Saint Christopher medal. Do the work and read some studies about how SARS-CoV-2 actually spreads. I hope you realize that wearing a mask in a surgical theater has nothing to do with stopping aerosols (and there isn’t much evidence in support of wearing them even there). Getting “vaccinated” doesn’t stop you from spreading the virus, so no virtue points for that, either.
JH,
At least when it comes to masks, I completely agree with you. I’ve been wearing N95/KF94 masks when I fly so it really makes no difference to me what others are doing. As Matthew has said on here a loosely fitted cloth mask doesn’t do much, so I’m fine just worrying about protecting myself (this argument does not apply to vaccines IMO). Enjoy not having to wear a mask!
Your opinion regarding vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is wrong. Regardless of the vaccines’ efficacy, which is sorely lacking, mandating their use is wrong as well.
Couldn’t agree more Andy. I think it’s a ridiculous rule in place that isn’t particularly effective. I suspect it will be gone by the summer though for the main travel season to Europe.
“UPDATE: UNITED AIRLINES WILL NO LONGER REQUIRE MASKS ONBOARD”
I’m literally crying tears of joy right now. I fully expected to be forced to wear a mask whenever traveling by air for the rest of my life due to the complete clown show that our government has become. I might just buy a last-minute ticket and hop on a flight to anywhere to celebrate!
Wearing a mask inside an airplane should be a personal decision. Respect the ones that want to wear one, respect the ones that don’t want to.
Now, there is nothing more stupid than a mandate to wear masks inside an airport when it is OK to not wear one inside a sports arena where 20,000 people sit an inch from each other. All for following the science.
No, I don’t have to respect your choice not to wear a mask.
Scientists have shown that masks reduce the transmission of COVID.
No data has ever shown that masks increase the transmission of COVID.
Your choice potentially increases the risk of transmission and thus danger to others. My choice reduces the risk of danger to others.
This good news. The sooner the vulnerable people all die from covid, the sooner I no longer have to feel any guilt about spreading covid to them.
Ask yourself this.. if they are so smart, why are they immunocompromised? Think about it…
Now excuse me while I go roll some coal
Show us these studies proving that masks work. I know of none and I am confident that I have read far more about masking than you have. I can even point you to studies that show that masking increases the incidence of infection with ILIs. The CDC director is reduced to lying about and misrepresenting the efficacy of masks to the point of getting called out on it by the Atlantic magazine. Please stop hectoring us about the “Science” and leave science to those who care about actual science.
Forget it. The ignorant have won. This is truly a country of sh!t for brains. Republicans have successfully destroyed education.
My advice? Learn mandarin. China will be the world leader within a generation because this country is just too dumb. Once they get control of the world’s natural resources it’s game over for the US
Stay home, Greg. That is where you belong.
On recent flights I was always curious how the Covid risk went away when they served drinks and snacks and everyone had masks off. Seemed silly we had to have them on just for show
Freedom
Thank You 45
Yep, I was on a flight earlier and took my mask off. There was a woman next to me holding a small child, probably a month old. I turned and sneezed right in the child’s face and said “sorry little buddy, that’s just my freedom I sneezed all over you”. Soon he’ll be free from the burden of tasting his food just like me.
I’ll take it – there was bipartisan support for this (57-40 in the senate), but I would REALLY like to see the testing requirement to enter the US removed. Do that and travel can finally return to normal.
And for those of you worried about catching covid, N95s are incredibly effective at keeping you protected and vaccination also provides a strong defense against hospitalization
BINGO. Fit-tested, properly-worn (no facial hair) N95 worn at all times (no eating or drinking) is proven to reduce the risk of transmitting or contracting COVID-19. No question about that. And I welcome anyone who has ongoing concerns about COVID-19 to do exactly that. Between proper N95-wearing at all times, as I have outlined, vaccination + boosting, and social distancing, one will likely be able to avoid infection.
With that said, in my mind, anyone who is not doing each and all of those steps, at all times, has ceded the moral authority to demand changes in behavior from others.
Your full of it, but that’s no surprise. Short exposure to coronavirus doesn’t give you covid, so a few maskless moments won’t cause you to get infected. Long periods of exposure will. Fit testing is overrated. N95 masks still have high efficacy with facial hair up to 10mm in length, then it declines… doesn’t apply to kn95 though. So quit with your all or nothing BS. Just because you only care about yourself doesn’t mean others can’t take steps to protect their loved ones… because believe me I’m not going to wear a mask for your protection. I’ll probably start lowering it if I have to sneeze.
I assume you’re not directing your post to me… I am 100% completely against a mask mandate under all circumstances. I don’t think I’ll wear one again on an airplane.
Either that or you simply have difficulty comprehending what you read.
My point is w/r/t masking: nobody has the moral authority to demand changes in behavior from others (i.e., calling for a broad mask mandate) if they aren’t taking all the measures they can to ensure their own “safety”.
I am dubious of the efficacy of masks in general but there is no doubt that those conditions (proper N95, vax, social distance) limits likelihood of contracting COVID-19. If people aren’t already taking those steps under all circumstances, I am categorically uninterested in their opinion as to what I should be doing.
I wear N95 masks whenever I leave the house (and tried a total of 11 different N95/KN95 masks before finding one that fit me well), I have received my 4th shot and I pay for first class seats when I travel (for necessity) to maximize social distancing from other passengers, all so that I can hopefully avoid COVID and bringing it home to my family member who is afflicted by a primary immunodeficiency.
With that, are you willing to interact with me on the topic? I can’t protect my family member by myself – I need the help of others who might have COVID. To be honest, my opinion has shifted a bit over time. I now know too many fully vaxxed and generally thoughtful people who have contracted COVID in the last few weeks to think that it’s just an issue with selfish unvaxxed people who are too scared to make the effort. But that’s why I believe people should still be wearing masks. If everyone was vaxxed and everyone wore masks, we’d have a lot fewer cases than we do now.
Bring back the peanuts too! Have a peanut allergy? Toughen up!
Also, abolish drunk driving penalties! I need freedom to do as I feel!
In fact why have laws at all? All they do is restrict freedom!
Maybe they should go back to blocking middle seats in cattle class for safe social distancing lol.
Everyone who was banned from flying for not complying with mask mandates should be allowed back.
-ECH (End COVID Hysteria)
Wow, you sound like a lib.
Yes, those lenient on baby torture cases should be nominated to the Supreme Court.
try searching “Ketanji Brown Jackson chose leniency even in baby sex torture cases”
-ECH (End COVID Hysteria)
Interesting news! I’m glad to see United Airlines adjusting its policies to make flying more comfortable and convenient for passengers. However, I do have some concerns about the potential spread of germs without masks onboard. I hope the airline continues to prioritize safety and hygiene.