Once more with COVID, Americans go it alone

Too many times during the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have been left on their own to decide how best to protect themselves and their families. Instead of acting collectively, people go it alone.

The most recent blow to an intervention proven to slow the spread of the coronavirus is the decision by a Trump-appointed federal judge in Florida to strike down a mandate that individuals wear masks on public transportation — trains, planes, buses and the like. The judge ruled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its statutory authority in mandating masks in public transit.

Airlines were so happy to see the mandate removed that passengers were told of the ruling midflight. Many cheered and ripped off the masks in joy.

The judge was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in September 2020. Nominated at 33, the American Bar Association said Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle lacked the requisite legal experience to serve on the federal bench. She had been a lawyer for eight years and never tried a case. Now, she will decide issues that affect the lives of all Americans for decades.

Though no one can be sure, this may be the ruling that defines Mizelle’s time in the judiciary. Masks and mask-wearing have been central to the fight against COVID-19, but as a result of her decision, flying has become more risky for people who are immunocompromised, too young to get a vaccine or otherwise unable to receive a shot to protect against the virus.

And with this ruling, we again move from taking care of one another to all individuals for themselves. That’s why the U.S. death rate during this pandemic has led the world — we have created and codified individual responses to a deadly collective problem.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration isn’t stepping up to the moment with a robust defense of the transit masking policy — at least not immediately. Its messaging has been scattered and tepid. When asked about the issue, the president replied Americans could decide for themselves. It’s “up to them,” he said.

It’s clear top Democrats, facing an uphill battle in midterm elections, have made a political decision: The country must return to as close to normal as possible. They clearly see Americans are sick of the pandemic. With vaccines and better treatments, they apparently believe a weary nation now can handle the disease, or at the very least, be more likely to vote for Democrats in November.

It’s an unfortunate turn, based on optics: Masks, for too many, are a sign normal is not here.

But without masks, we question whether normal will ever get here, as cases are on the rise once again with a new variant.

For now, the Transportation Security Administration — influenced, perhaps, by public opinion and the beleaguered travel and tourism industries — no longer will be enforcing the mask mandate in airports. The Justice Department has said it will appeal if the CDC determines the mask mandate is still necessary.

All the while, the clock keeps ticking, bringing us yet again closer to a time when a new variant collides with an old problem: making commonsense decisions for the good of all.

Medical experts interviewed by the New York Times gave this useful advice to people wondering what to do: Think about the most vulnerable person in your circle — a sick relative, an elderly parent, a child under 5 with asthma. If you live with that person, wearing a mask while out and about can make sense.

When infection rates are high in the community, the CDC still recommends wearing a mask in indoor spaces. That hasn’t changed. As for public transit or airplanes, wearing masks is a good idea if you’re enclosed in a place with people whose vaccine status you don’t know.

For all those who don’t want the government telling them what to do — this is your moment. Mandates are gone, struck down. Wearing a mask indoors around strangers is a choice — your choice.