DOJ files court case, CDC says face masks are still needed, and WHO says omicron accounts for 99.5% of global COVID cases

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Fri, 2022-04-22 13:41 — mike kraft

CDC says face masks are still needed to protect the public, and WHO says omicron accounts for 99.5% of global COVID cases The Justice Department has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a federal judge's ruling that ended the face-mask mandate on planes and other modes of public... Ciara Linnane MarketWatch

The Justice Department has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a federal judge’s ruling that ended the face-mask mandate on planes and other modes of public transportation, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are still needed to protect public health.

A notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Tampa, the Associated Press reported. The move came as the CDC cited its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.”

Most airlines and airports, many public transit systems and even ride-sharing company Uber UBER, 1.25% lifted their mask-wearing requirements in the hours following Monday’s ruling, prompting joy and confusion alike among travelers.

Many experts continue to believe face masks are a key way to end the acute phase of the pandemic with new subvariants of the omicron variant spreading rapidly.

The World Health Organization said omicron accounted for 99.5% of global cases sequenced in the week through April 17.

COVID-19 cases are rising again across the U.S. after a steep decline early in the year, driven by the BA.2 variant of omicron, along with two new subvariants that appear to be even more infectious. Those subvariants, named BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, were highlighted by health officials in New York State last week. ...

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