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After a backlash on social media, Delta Air Lines has dismissed a comment that falsely claimed that the coronavirus, which continues to be responsible for more than 35,000 new cases a day, has become “a common seasonal virus.”
The airline made the comment Monday in an announcement that it will no longer require masks — a move several U.S. airlines have taken after a federal judge overturned mask mandates on public transportation.
Delta Air Lines rewrote the statement on Tuesday after a number of people – including public health experts – accused the airline of spreading misinformation. The announcement now says the airline is “relieved” that the mask mandate will be lifted as the coronavirus “moves to a more manageable respiratory virus — with better treatments, vaccines and other scientific measures to prevent serious illnesses.”
The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
TSA halts mask enforcement after federal judge invalidates mandate
Since the pandemic began, Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has caused more than 80 million cases and more than 985,000 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even though more than 80 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and cases across the country have recently been falling, it’s still reporting 1,400 new hospital admissions and 375 new deaths a day, according to the CDC.
A federal judge lifted the federal transportation mask mandate on April 18, but that doesn’t mean masking still doesn’t offer protection. (Video: John Farrell, Joshua Carroll/Washington Post)
The end of the federal mandate for transportation masks was greeted with confusion and relief
Some public health experts have suggested that Covid-19 is moving in the right direction.
CDC acting senior executive director Debra Houry recently told Politico that the pandemic is moving into endemic stages. But she added: “What’s important when we say ‘endemic’ is that it doesn’t mean Covid is gone. This means we have learned to live with Covid so that it doesn’t interfere with our daily lives.”
Coronavirus cases have surged in the Northeast as the highly transmissible omicron subvariant BA.2 has become dominant in the United States, causing more than 74 percent of infections.
MISINFO BY DELTA AIRLINES – This statement by @Delta that #COVID-19 now a “common seasonal virus” is wrong. My source says Delta did not consult with its chief medical adviser before releasing this misinformation. Hope Delta will correct as soon as possible!
screenshot from @WUTangKids pic.twitter.com/icIHmXSclU
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 19, 2022
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida put an end to federal transportation mask mandates. airlines, including Alaska, AmericanDelta, Border, Hawaiianjetblue, Spiritsouthwest u United, have updated their policies to make masking optional for customers and staff, at least for domestic flights. There may be exceptions for international flights, some airlines said.
This isn’t the first time Delta Air Lines has reported a pandemic. As the delta variant of the coronavirus surged over the past year, CEO Ed Bastian said he didn’t want to use the Greek letter — delta — associated with the variant, but rather everything from the scientific term (B.1.617.2) to “that Darn” call variant.”