Masks no longer required at PDX following Florida court ruling

As of late Monday afternoon, Portland International Airport was no longer enforcing the federal transportation mask mandate.

This comes after a federal judge in Florida voided the national mask mandate covering airplanes and other public transportation, ruling it exceeded the authority of U.S. health officials.

The Port of Portland confirmed the new development and asked travelers to be “kind and respectful of a person’s individual decision to wear a mask or not.”

Alaska, United and Deltawere among airlines who announced they will not be requiring staff or customers to wear a mask.

Portland’s public transit agency, TriMet, announced Monday afternoon that masks will continue to be required on their trains and buses. It’s unclear whether their stance will change with the Transportation Safety Administration ending its mask mandate later in the afternoon. TSA officials had recently extended mask requirements through May 3, just before the ruling in Florida.

The Biden administration said Monday that the rule would not be enforced while federal agencies decide how to respond to the judge’s order.

In a press briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called the ruling a “disappointing decision.” She added that the CDC still recommends wearing a mask while using public transit.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment when asked if it would seek an emergency stay to block the judge’s order.

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