But as the pandemic situation continued to get better, the US government announced in 2022 that wearing face masks will no longer be mandatory. Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. Several other countries and territories in Asia have been rolling back COVID-19 restrictions as leaders look to shift to an endemic phase. Cases have been declining for weeks. In February, Spain became the last country in Europe to drop its airplane mask mandate, while Japan will only relax mask recommendations from March 13. Miss a day, miss a lot. Before Wednesday, people living in Hong Kong had to wear a mask in any public area. Accordingly, the CDC now says individuals at high-risk of COVID-19 complications should consider taking precautions, such as avoiding crowds and wearing a high-quality mask. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. After long 959 days or three years, the city of Hong Kong has finally bid adieu to the controversial COVID-19 mask mandate that was brought in to prevent the spread of the virus. But Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that restrictions there would gradually lift with mask and remote work mandates easing early next month and As part of its Hello Hong Kong campaign, the city is giving away more thanhalf a millionairline tickets starting from Wednesday. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during a Senate hearing on the COVID-19 response, March 18, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Earlier this month, the tourism board launched the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign, giving away 500,000 free airline tickets in an attempt to lure international travelers. Mexico removed all entry requirements, including the mandatory health form, on January 1, 2022. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In a press call with reporters, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cautioned that COVID was unpredictable and that these conditions could change that put hospitals at risk of once again being overloaded. The Omicron surge in late 2021/early 2022 convinced several prefectures to institute restrictions on some businesses, especially bars and eateries, but those restrictions have since been lifted. On the no-no list: Fabric or reusable masks on flights within Chile. So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? While mask mandates and restrictions had started to relax in China in late 2021, the Omicron variant caused a resurgence in both COVID-19 cases and the addendant restrictions that accompany them in early 2022. SIGHTSEEING SPOT. In a press conference on April 20, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. Carissa Etienne, noted: "The WHO's emergency committee last week declared that the COVID health pandemic still constitutes an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. COLUMBUS, Ohio Masks will no longer be required for anyone on school buses, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday. France With more than 92% of its population of 67+ million people vaccinated, France chose to lift the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions in Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. Philadelphia: Masks are currently required at the Philadelphia International Airport and in many of the citys indoor spaces, like restaurants, museums, sporting areas Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. Places where social distancing is not followed. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. This year and the next year, we will focus on the economy and development.. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. Although Hong Kong seemed like an outlier with its far-reaching mask mandate, there are still a number of countries that require masks onboard public transport and on commercial aircraft. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. And because case counts remained high, the public health agency had stuck to its recommendation of indoor masking, including inside schools. Hong Kongs leader said on Tuesday that the city would lift its mask mandate, one of the last such policies in the world, effectively ending what had been one of the pandemics strictest Covid regimes. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy, Lee said. The new guidance recommends that people who are at high-risk of COVID-19 complications should talk to their doctor about how to stay safe in a community that might have moderate risk levels. It still poses an ongoing risk of international spread and requires coordinated international response so we are still in a public health emergency of international concern. Why is it important to subscribe? Read more:Hong Kong's population declines for a third consecutive year; Chinese influence to be blamed, China spending billions on spreading disinformation about Ukraine war, says US special envoy, 'Hello Hong Kong' mission kicks off with half a million free air tickets on offer, Zero to 100 in under 5 minutes: Redmi unveils 300W fastest charger. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Heres where. The United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. Vietnam made face masks compulsory for people to wear in public on March 16. Harrelson conducted the interview to promote his new film Champions, but things took a turn when he was asked about his perspective on the movie business evolution since the 1990s. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. ", What Countries Require Masks in Public or Recommend Masks? Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. The CDC guidance is an acknowledgement that hospitalization rates in recent weeks have fallen dramatically and that highly vaccinated communities would be able to withstand an uptick in cases without overwhelming their local hospital systems. As the world continues to live and adapt to the pandemic, several countries, including the Philippines, have lifted the face mask requirement. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. MANILA, Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all countries worldwide to impose lockdown measures and travel restrictions to avoid spreading the virus. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for He added that while well-fitting masks were highly effective in hospital settings, they were often removed in crowded restaurants and at home, limiting the protection they provided when community transmission was widespread. And not just any mask will do. Your email address will not be published. Mask requirements may be a thing of the On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. We are witnessing the Great Unmasking, with masks mandates falling faster, even, than plummeting Omicron caseloads. This other country in East Asia is also one of the major success stories in containing COVID-19 and has never experienced massive lockdowns like any other country. 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Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. Still, the new benchmarks could be used by local leaders, school boards and public health officials who are facing vastly different versions of the pandemic even within the same state. Tourists along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2023. Read about our approach to external linking. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. South Korea has mandated mask-wearing in both indoor and outdoor public locations since the beginning of the pandemic. Starting Wednesday, people in Hong Kong will no longer be required to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation, though facilities like hospitals and nursing homes can still require them, Mr. Lee said. According to the Brazilian report, the governor of Sao Paulo city, Joao Doria tweeted, "Finally without masks. Cloth masks were deemed no longer acceptable, and people were required to wear medical-grade masks. The severe covid restrictions had a negative effect on Hong Kong's economy. More than 70% of Americans should be able to remove their masks indoors, including inside schools, under new metrics outlined Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that represent a seismic shift in how the public health agency plans to measure COVID-19 risk. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. The only exception is for children under 2 years of age and between 2 and 11 years old, for whom there is flexibility in the use of the mask. Now, Berlin and Brandenburg are the first of Germany's 16 federal states considering a reintroduction of mandatory masks for indoor public spaces, at least in retail. However, masks must be worn at indoor places and public transport, where a vaccination pass is not needed. All rights reserved. Here is a list. "It's not a good time to drop the interventions that we know have been effective. Thousands died, many of them seniors who had not been vaccinated. However, the government has suggested that face coverings be worn in: France has stated that face masks would no longer be compulsory in public places that require vaccination passes. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. Masks however, are still required for everyone, onboard all domestic flights. China's airlines have become a bit less strict than in the early days of the pandemic when in-flight announcements would urge passengers not to chitchat during the flight. But in mid-March the rules were revised; PPEs are no longer required for cabin crew onboard. Wearing face covers in open spaces is no longer a mandate in UAE. Visitors wearing protective face masks walk under decorations for the New Year at Nakamise Street leading to Senso-ji Temple at the Asakusa district, in Tokyo on January 9, 2023. At least now tourists dont have to worry about being fined for not wearing a mask in the street, said Pamela Mak, president of Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association. But for local health officials and school boards, the CDC suggests a community consider three factors: new COVID-19 hospitalizations; hospital capacity; and new COVID-19 cases. Heres where. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. Hong Kong to scrap almost all its Covid rules, Hong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. Venezuela was among the first countries to impose the mandatory use of face masks in public back in March. The new recommendations are a major change in how the federal government is approaching pandemic guidance. But those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. 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"With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy," Mr Lee said on Tuesday. Although many indoor mask mandates are implemented at the city and county level, six states still have mandates in place: California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, Harrelson Read more:Hong Kong announces further easing of COVID-19 curbs. Hong Kong largely avoided mass outbreaks in the first two years of the pandemic by imposing tight border controls and social distancing policies, in an attempt to bring its caseload as close to zero as possible. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. Leaders in Hong Kong hope the easing of requirements will help bring back tourists and businesses. BY Tristan Bove. That compares with 77% for Singapore. Sign up here. Because the truth is worth it.). 2022. We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six A federal judge in FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. DeSantis won't say he's running. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on In the end, the government gave little more than a days notice that the mandate would be scrapped seemingly in response to a similar policy shift from the autonomous region of Macau which is also able to set various policies independently of Beijing. She reports on global health, science, and development, and her work has been published in the New York Times, The British Medical Journal, BBC, The Guardian and other outlets. There were almost 500,000 Filipino tourists who arrived in Singapore in 2022. As the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain continues to decline, the country recently removed the mandate for wearing masks in outdoor settings. Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. Face masks must still be worn in closed spaces. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. While most countries across the globe opened up in a phased manner with the majority relaxing the mask mandate much earlier, Hong Kong continued to follow the line Masks are Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. The only places where masks are still required include hospitals and public transit. 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