Couple forced off flight in America after toddler refuses to wear face mask

Gulf Today Report

The coronavirus has completely shaken up people all over the world, sending paranoia to new highs. That apprehension has even hit the airline industry, which is just not taking chances over health safety.

In one incident, a New York City mum, who was travelling with her six children, had an argument with airline staff after one of the kids refused to wear a mask. Subsequently, all the passengers in the plane had to disembark following the row.

In yet another incident, a woman was removed from a flight from Belfast to Edinburgh after she refused to wear a face mask.

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In a new development, a couple were reportedly removed from a New Jersey-bound United Airlines flight because their two-year-old daughter refused to keep her mask on, violating the compliance guidelines of the airline.

The couple boarded the flight from Denver to travel to New Jersey's Newark international airport with their daughter when they were asked to disembark by a staff member.

In a video posted on social media, Eliz Orban, the mother of the two-year-old, said: "Today, we were asked to leave the plane after it had rolled out, and they had to bring it back to the gate because our two-year-old daughter would not ‘comply’ and keep her mask on."

The video shows the repeated attempts of the couple to coax their daughter into wearing a mask, without any success.

“Come here, you have to put this on,” the father of the child is seen saying, while the child playfully covers her face with her hands and pushes the mask away.

Image only for representation

While the couple attempt to reason with the staff, the father can be seen holding the mask on the child’s face:

I’m literally holding it over my daughter’s face,” he said. “This is compliance right here.”

 “We can’t force her,” Ms Orban can be heard saying. “She’s literally holding it, and she’s crying.”

But the airline asked them to take their belongings and exit the aircraft.

“I am still sitting here in confusion, disbelief, disgust, and humiliation,” wrote Ms Orban on her Instagram account, which has been changed to a private profile following the incident.

While speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Ms Orban – whose profile on the page identifies her as a bodybuilder and former biathlon skier – said her experience was “absolutely traumatising, very humiliating too”.

 “I’ve never been more confused in my life.”