CHICAGO — A Florida federal judge’s decision this week to strike down the Biden administration’s mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation sent a mixed message to event and trade show organizers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just extended its mask mandate for another 15 days in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections from the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. A surge in new infections has prompted a reversal of mask policies in some places, including Philadelphia, which reinstated indoor mask mandates this week after a 50% increase in cases.
But for now, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle’s ruling sets a precedent for public transportation. “The court’s decision means that the CDC’s mask order on public transportation is not in effect at this time,” a White House official said Monday. “Therefore, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will not enforce its security guidance and emergency amendment requiring masks on public transportation and transportation hubs at this time. The CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks on indoor public transportation.”
The Biden administration also said it was reviewing the decision and evaluating potential next steps, leaving the impression that things could change again. Meanwhile, the U.S. Travel Association expressed support for the decision. “We have long said that wearing a mask on public transportation should be an individual choice, and we were pleased to hear President Biden echo that sentiment this week, especially since the CDC’s own guidance indicates that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not need to wear a mask in indoor public settings,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Travel Association. “Masks were critically important during the height of the pandemic, but with low hospitalization rates and many effective health tools now widely available, from boosters to therapies to high-quality ventilation on airplanes, mandating masking on public transportation is simply out of step with the current public health landscape.”
The Biden administration also said it was reviewing the mask mandate decision and assessing potential next steps, leaving the impression that things could change, again.
Meanwhile, major airlines including Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Travel, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines immediately announced that mask-wearing was now optional, and Amtrak, Uber and Lyft lifted all mask restrictions.
The impact of this decision on the psychology of trade show attendees remains to be seen, but experts advise trade show organizers to take a cue from local health guidelines and pandemic rates. “Lifting mask mandates as cases surge and some cities reinstate mask mandates sends a mixed public health message,” said John Cordier, CEO and co-founder of Epistemix. “At this point in the pandemic, maintaining high levels of immunity is the top priority to avoid sudden spikes in hospitalizations. Trade show organizers can reduce confusion by sticking to local public health guidelines and using forecasts to anticipate city-by-city when cases will spike and what safety measures to expect.”
Contact John Cordier at john.cordier@epistemix.com