Leer en Español
A mother reported that she and her two-year-old baby were removed from American Airlines flight 1284 because the child did not wear a mask during an asthma attack. It is the story of Amanda Pendarvis, which went viral on social networks.
Pendarvis shared the story on her Instagram. There she explained that one of the passengers complained because her son was not wearing a mask and therefore, the plane turned back and she was escorted by police to leave the flight.
“He had the plane turned around and had us escorted off to be met by police officers: Why? Wait for it… because my 2 year old was not properly wearing a mask,” Pendarvis wrote in an Instagram story.
Similarly, the mother claims she tried to explain to passengers and authorities that her son had a negative COVID-19 test. However, she was not listened to. She also noted that the other travelers seemed to agree with her.
“I was not refusing a mask. Nor did I even say I wouldn’t try to keep a mask on my son,” Pendarvis maintained.
This was criticized by several citizens who argue that it was an extreme measure. In fact, a debate has arisen as to whether 2-year-olds should wear masks. In December 2020, when the most complete age breakdown was available, children aged 0-4 years accounted for 1.3 % of all COVID cases in the United States, with 212,879. Just over 2 % of them were hospitalized (0.02 % overall) and a total of 52 had died.
Strong reaction
Meanwhile, Daily Wire presenter Matt Walsh called this case barbaric and expressed that he does not understand how there are citizens who support this type of situation.
“Forcing a mask on any two year old, let alone an asthmatic two year old, is barbaric. I have nothing but contempt for the people who support these kinds of policies. They are scum. Truly. This infuriates me,” Walsh wrote on Twitter.
A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed to MarketWatch what happened, but claimed that the decision was made because Pendarvis was not complying with the airline’s rules for traveling.
He further explained that they were rebooked on another flight and there were no fees associated with the rebooking. He also claimed that the authorities were not warned that it was an asthma attack.
