Entire plane forced to disembark after toddler refuses to wear mask
Flight attendants on a New York-bound plane forced all passengers to disembark because a toddler refused to wear a face mask.
The girl’s mother, Chaya Bruck, was “traumatised” over the incident that occurred on a JetBlue flight from Orlando to Newark on Wednesday (local time).
Ms Bruck, who lives in Brooklyn, was travelling alone with her six children, the youngest of which is two years old.
According to Ms Bruck, flight attendants had requested that the toddler wear a mask during the flight along with the rest of the passengers as a precaution against coronavirus.
“He said no, she has to cover her nose and her mouth, and I said I could try but then she was pulling it off,” the mother told NBC New York.
“A few minutes later, they came to me and they told me that I have to gather my things and I have to get off the plane.”
A video filmed on the flight shows a flight attendant asking Ms Bruck and her children to leave the plane after stating the airline has a “zero tolerance policy”.
“So if I put on her mask…” Ms Bruck begins.
“It’s already too late,” the hostess says, sparking an outcry from several passengers.
Shortly after, the entire plane was asked to disembark, with an announcement over the speakers promising to have the passengers back onboard quickly.
"They were horribly nasty, my kids were crying. Really traumatising,” she told NBC.
“I asked them, 'Should I tie her hands and feet? What do you want me to do?' They just wanted me off the plane.”
JetBlue updated their policy to require all passengers aged two and up to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth.
Ms Bruck’s husband told The Yeshiva World that he would be pursuing legal action.
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