Philadelphia mask mandate: Where you need to wear a mask

PHILADELPHIA - Masks are back in Philadelphia, but when and where you are required to wear them can be confusing.

As of this week, Philadelphia is under an indoor mask mandate that was announced after the health department noted an uptick in new COVID-19 infections.

The all encompassing mandate was thrown for a loop, however, when a federal judge in Florida struck down the national mask mandate for public transportation that was recently extended by the Centers for Disease Control.

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will not appeal the federal district judge’s ruling that ended the nation’s mask mandate on public transit unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the requirement is still necessary.In a statement released a day after a Florida judge ended the sweeping mandate, which required face coverings on planes and trains and in transit hubs, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said officials believe that the federal mask order was "a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health." He said it was "an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve."Coley said the CDC had said it would continue to assess public health conditions, and if the agency determined a mandate was necessary for public health, the Justice Department would file an appeal.Philadelphia's health officials on Monday said it will bring back its indoor mask mandate on Apr.