(CNN) The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to reinstate restrictions for the time being on patients seeking to obtain a drug used for abortions early in pregnancy, marking a temporary victory for abortion rights supporters. In an unsigned order, the court left in place a lower court ruling blocking, due to health concerns from the Covid-19 pandemic, Food and Drug Administration rules that require an in-person visit with a medical professional to pick up the medication. The contested regulation concerns mifepristone, the first of two drugs typically taken several days apart to end an early pregnancy. The order is a loss -- for the moment -- for the Trump administration, which had asked the justices to step in. Instead, the court said it would not rule definitively on the controversial case but asked the lower courts to continue to consider the issue, meaning it will likely percolate back to the Supreme Court later this year.

Source: CNN October 08, 2020 23:59 UTC