Court allows Arkansas ban on surgical abortions due to virus

A federal appeals court has allowed Arkansas to ban most surgical abortions during the coronavirus pandemic.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday dissolved a judge's temporary restraining order that allowed surgical abortions to continue after the Arkansas Department of Health told the state's only surgical abortion clinic to stop performing the procedure unless it was needed to protect the life or health of the mother.

The appeals court's ruling said the Health Department's "directive is a legally valid response to the circumstances confronted by the Governor and state health officials."