The Biden administration on Monday asked an appeals court to reinstate the federal vaccine mandate following a critical legal victory last week, while the White House’s COVID-19 coordinator said they were willing to prolong the mask mandate based on a CDC decision. A divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit panel reversed a January nationwide injunction order by Judge Jeffrey Brown—appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by former President Donald Trump—ruling that the federal judge did not have jurisdiction in the case. The panel added that those seeking a challenge should have pursued administrative remedies under civil service law. The 2–1 win paves the way toward the reinstatement of the federal vaccine mandate, while the Justice Department has requested the New Orleans-based appellate court to take “appropriate steps so that the government may resume implementation and enforcement” of the mandate. The judgment is …