Korona - Ansiktsmasker påbudt i USA - Curt Lewis

 

President Biden Makes Mask Wearing Mandatory On Aircraft   Yesterday, new United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order, requiring the public to wear face masks on all federal property and during interstate travel on public transport. Therefore, as part of the “100 Day Masking Challenge,” passengers are now expected to wear coverings while on board an aircraft by federal law. Urgent action Biden previously expressed his strong support for wearing a mask to help tackle pandemic. He said there would be a significant reduction in coronavirus cases if every person in the country wore a covering. At the beginning of last month, he declared that he would ask everyone to wear a mask for 100 days on his first day as president. Biden said the following, as reported by the BBC: “The first day I’m inaugurated […] I’m going to ask the public for 100 days to mask. Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction if we occur that, if that occurs with vaccinations and masking to drive down the numbers considerably.”  Subsequently, Biden stayed true to his word and took action on the day of his inauguration. The president said the following, as reported by the Wall Street Journal: “I thought there’s no time to wait. Get to work immediately.” An ongoing saga Since the start of the pandemic, the wearing of face masks on an aircraft has sparked debate across the aviation industry. All major US airlines require those on board to wear coverings. However, there have been several passengers banned due to refusal to wear one. Conflicts over the topic have resulted in threats and even attacks on flight attendants. By the first week of September, airlines had already banned over 700 passengers from their respective services due to mask refusals. Moreover, just earlier this month, 14 passengers were banned by Alaska Airlines after their unruly behavior surrounding the wearing of coverings on the aircraft. Following this, airline labor unions expressed safety concerns. Therefore, the Air Line Pilots’ Association, International (ALPA) shared its support for Biden’s order. The group said that voluntary implementation leaves too much risk of virus exposure for those on the frontline. ALPA supports @POTUS’s call for a 100-day mask mandate for airline passengers. Voluntary implementation leaves too much risk of #COVID19 exposure for #frontline #aviation workers. — Air Line Pilots Association (@WeAreAlpa) January 20, 2021 A joint effort Nonetheless, even before this order, certain officials have been keen to clamp down on issues surrounding masks. Last week, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson approved an order to fine unruly passengers or those who assault, threaten or intimidate crew members. These fines can reach up to $35,000, and the ruling is effective until March 30th. Moreover, offenders could be imprisoned for up to 20 years. Altogether, authorities and airlines are on the same page regarding the mandatory wearing of face masks. The government, carriers, and passengers will be keeping a close eye on conditions over the next few months following the rollout of the vaccine. Perhaps requirements could change after a reduction in cases throughout the year.

 

 

Man who refused to wear mask on airplane in Japan gets arrested four months later   Airline apparently did not forgive or forget. Back on September 7, Japanese airline Peach Aviation had to suddenly divert one of its flights due to an unruly passenger. The trouble started before takeoff, when 34-year-old Junya Okuno was asked by cabin crew to put on a mask, which he refused to do while demanding that the request be made in writing. He didn’t become any more cooperative after the flight took off from Kushiro Airport in Hokkaido, either. When cabin attendants once again asked Okuno to put on a mask, he became belligerent, shouting and twisting the arm of one of the female staff, inflicting minor injuries. In accordance with Japan’s aviation regulations, the pilot deemed Okuno to be a safety risk, and so he diverted the plane to the nearest viable airport for an unscheduled landing so Okuno could be removed. That turned out to be Niigata Airport, some 600 kilometers (373 miles) away from the flight’s intended destination of Kansai Airport in Osaka. Following Okuno being taken off the plane, which was accompanied by applause from several other passengers, the flight resumed, with its 124 travelers finally reaching Kansai Airport two hours and 15 minutes later than scheduled. Even if Japan has a saying that “The customer is god,” there’s still a limit to the behavior that can be overlooked, and on Tuesday the repercussions for Okuno’s temper tantrum came literally knocking on the door of his home in the town of Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture. Doing the knocking were officers from the Osaka Prefectural Police, who placed him under arrest for his conduct onboard the flight. Okuno wasn’t arrested specifically for not wearing a mask, but under the broader “forced obstruction of business operations,” a designation commonly used in charges related to disruptive behavior that creates an intimidating atmosphere in shops, restaurants, and mass transit vehicles. That would also explain why it was the Osaka cops who took him into custody, since Osaka is both where the flight was initially bound for and also where Peach is headquartered. So really, Okuna hasn’t been arrested so much for refusing to wear a mask, but for being a jerk about how he did so. Hopefully the newest development will encourage him to rethink his criminally poor manners, and if nothing else, he can at least take solace in the fact that he got to complete more of his intended flight than another anti-masker.