Dr. Emily Ricotta, who describes herself as an epidemiologist and data scientist, posted a photo on Twitter and announced that she was wearing two masks at the airport.
“In defiance of the mask mandate removal, I’m double masked and bringing some sass to the airport this morning,” Ricotta declared in a Thursday tweet. Her shirt appears to bear the message, “Trust Me, I’m an Epidemiologist.”
BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales of “The News & Why It Matters” responded by remarking, “You’re…literally doing exactly what was intended, which is making your own choice. This isn’t in defiance of anything . You do realize this, right?”
“This isn’t ‘defiance’ of anything. YOU are free to wear as many masks as you want. You just cannot force others to do the same. That’s the great thing about removing mandates. We all get to choose what we think is the right thing to do. Also, enjoy irrelevance,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s press secretary Christina Pushaw tweeted.
“This isn’t defiance. It’s you making a personal choice, as you are permitted to do,” Kat Timpf tweeted.
“The removal of mask mandates does not mean wearing masks is now forbidden,” pollster Frank Luntz noted.
“Your paper mask isn’t properly fitted to your face, and the fabric thing isn’t really a mask. So you’re kinda flying at half-mask,” Harmeet Dhillon tweeted.
Roland Martin posted a tweet on Tuesday declaring that he was wearing two masks for a flight.
“I don’t give a damn what some grossly unqualified Donald Trump judge said, I’m double masked and wearing goggles on this Nashville to DC flight. I had COVID in December. Y’all can KISS MY ASS about me not wanting it again. And any fool saying they don’t matter is a damn liar,” Martin tweeted.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle issued a ruling on Monday that slapped down a federal mandate that required people to don face masks on public transportation and inside of transportation hubs such as airports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that it had asked the Department of Justice to appeal.
“To protect CDC’s public health authority beyond the ongoing assessment announced last week, CDC has asked DOJ to proceed with an appeal in Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc., et al., v. Biden, et al,” the CDC noted in a statement on Wednesday. “It is CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health. CDC will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary. CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC’s legal authority to protect public health.”