Judge’s Mask Order Cramps Biden Vow to ‘Follow the Science’

A federal judge’s decision to overturn the federal mask mandate curbs the administration’s powers to enforce data-driven policies in tackling Covid-19 and future outbreaks, health law professors said.

President Joe Biden and his health officials have vowed to “follow the science” in their Covid-19 response—a phrase that’s come up in nearly every White House press briefing. In that realm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided last week to extend the mask requirement on planes, trains, and other public transportation through May 3 to assess the impact of omicron BA.2 subvariant.

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of ...