Trump administration blocked CDC transit mask mandate

Former President Donald Trump’s administration at a crucial time in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 blocked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from adopting a federal mandate requiring face masks on airline flights and other forms of transit, a congressional report released on Monday said.
Marty Cetron, a senior CDC official, is cited in the report as saying the federal public health agency began working on the proposed order in July 2020 after its experts determined that there was scientific evidence to support requiring masks in public and commercial transportation.
The report was released by a Democratic-led House of Representatives subcommittee examining pandemic-related issues.
The proposed order would have required masks on public and commercial transportation modes and hubs like airports, airplanes, trains and ride-sharing vehicles, Cetron said.