Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes, trains, and travel hubs, officials said Wednesday.

It came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.

A notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Tampa.

The CDC said in a statement on Wednesday that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.”

The CDC said it will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine if a mandate would remain necessary. It said it believes the mandate is “a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.”