TAMPA, Fla. (CW44 News at 10) – The Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a ruling by a federal judge in Florida that struck down mask mandates for travelers, despite advice from the CDC. The decision is causing confusion among the people of Tampa Bay.
“We are not out of the woods yet. I have a young child who has asthma and an immunocompromised mother. For me, wearing a mask is the best thing I can do right now and not be stuck at home all the time.”
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The decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised maintaining the mandate to protect public health. The CDC also states that the policy was “well within the CDC’s legal authority” to help slow the spread of the virus.
“We see so many visitors and it is possible that people are coming from places where there are higher levels of community spread,” he said.
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Nicole Sutton, a Tampa Bay resident, says the community’s confusion stems from back-to-back conflicting rulings.
“Overall, it’s confusing to people. I definitely read what’s going on, but yeah. There may be something that goes off and then you try to understand what that means for where you are at that moment. You know, ‘does this affect me’ or ‘does it only affect if I’m on a plane?’” she said. But with an appeal now underway, he says resilience is what is needed, with developments expected in the coming weeks.
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“A pandemic is a changing circumstance. It requires people to be flexible,” Sutton said. “This is about people’s health. The greater good and if we can stay focused on that, I think that’s where we all win.”