WATCH | Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? While the updated guidance drops the recommendation of universal masking in schools, the CDC said it is still reviewing a federal requirement that individuals wear masks on public transportation, including on airplanes. Hong Kong had one of the worlds longest and strictest mask mandates which required people to wear a face mask in nearly all public settings, including outside in the open air. ", That's a position endorsed by Henry Wu, director of Emory TravelWell Center and an associate professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine: "Airports see the greatest influx of people around the world. Learn how your comment data is processed. These interventions made travel safer and possible, especially for senior citizens during the pandemic, says Toole, who is age 75. But testing isn't 100% accurate and people aren't always 100% responsible for self-testing. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. 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. Hong Kong will stop requiring masks to be worn in public places from Wednesday, drawing to a close the prolonged Covid era that damaged its economy and standing in the world. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. Before the pandemic, almost 500,000 Filipino travelers visited Thailand. 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. However, after China dropped several of its stringent policies in December 2022 and Hong Kong followed suit, it led to a surge of cases not seen since March 2022, according to Our World in Data, which uses data from Johns Hopkins University. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. France French residents and citizens do not have Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. It was only a year ago that some Americans were talking about wearing masks forever, becoming a society where it is normal to wear face coverings when we shop for groceries or go the gym, even after the urgent threat of COVID-19 was ABC News' Britt Clennett contributed to this report. Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for a well-known European airline. 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. Hong Kongs leader said on Tuesday that the city Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. El Salvador no longer requires masks in public spaces. Shares of companies linked to tourism gained. Emirates Wants to Massively Expand its Operations in India By Adding 50,000 Seats Per Week. Global isolation meant that the tourism industry was completely wrecked and the economy of Asia's financial hub shrank by 3.5 per cent in 2022. 3. Authorities claiming that the virus is no longer considered a 'critical threat'. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. Feb. 28, 2022, 12:34 PM PST / Updated April 21, 2022, 6:15 AM PDT. The Japanese government has said it will ease mask-wearing guidelines on 13 March, recommending masks only on trains and buses during rush hour, or where public transportation is particularly congested. 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. Cloth masks were deemed no longer acceptable, and people were required to wear medical-grade masks. As it reopened its borders, Singapore dropped mandatory mask requirements, both indoors and outdoors, in August 2022. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images The past three years of global isolation have weighed heavily on the citys economy and reputation. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In fact, he thinks masking is more important than ever because governments may be relying on people to be responsible, self-test and not fly if they test positive for COVID. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. COLUMBUS, Ohio Masks will no longer be required for anyone on school buses, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The city's gross domestic product fell by 3.5% last year. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. 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. Evidence shows that the coronavirus is under control in Hong Kong, without major signs of rebound, Chief Executive John Lee said at a news briefing. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. With the removal of the mask mandate, Hong Kong will return to normal all around, and in this year and the coming year will go all out for the economy and development at full speed, Mr. Lee said. This move seeks to relax public health measures for economic and social activities. Several other countries and territories in Asia have been rolling back COVID-19 restrictions as leaders look to shift to an endemic phase. The Hang Seng Tech index Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. Face masks must still be worn in closed spaces. Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. The only places where masks are still required include hospitals and public transit. 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. Vietnam made face masks compulsory for people to wear in public on March 16. Finland is entirely free of mask-related rules. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. We want to give people a break from things like mask wearing when our levels are low, and then have the ability to reach for them again if things get worse in the future.". That compares with 77% for Singapore. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. People wear face masks in the MTR station, a day before government gets rid of the mask rule in Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2023. For business its a game changer, said Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Ltd. Before, a lot of people would stay away from Hong Kong because the mask was showing that we were still stuck in the Covid days.. Terms & Conditions. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). However, as the vaccination rate increased and the country gained confidence in its health care network's ability to combat the virus, restrictions have been gradually eased. Most previous work focused on mask mandates; we study the effect of mask wearing directly. Cases have been declining for weeks. All rights reserved. Harrelson Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. 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 set by Beijing. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Thailand was able to keep the number of COVID-19 cases low in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020 due to its early lockdown and effective contact tracing strategy. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. The severe covid restrictions had a negative effect on Hong Kong's economy. This is definitely the most welcome news to us, not only for us being in Hong Kong, living in Hong Kong but also for us running the airline, Mandy Ng, chief executive officer of low-cost carrier Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd., told Bloomberg Television. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. Overall, Hong Kongs economy contracted by 6.1 percent in 2020; it rebounded in 2021, but shrank again in 2022. Based on that risk level, which could fluctuate, a community could opt to remove mask recommendations indoors or pull back on other mitigation measures, such as surveillance testing. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake, What we've learned from Alex Murdaugh murder trial. Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. Under the mandate, which took effect in July 2020, people who failed to wear masks in public could be fined about $635. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. The controls, which changed frequently and with little warning, came at a heavy cost to residents and contributed to an exodus from the city. 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. - Masks4All, Europe Travel: No Masks Needed In These EU Countries - Forbes, Countries That Have Removed All Internal Covid Restrictions - Travel Off Path, Some countries in Latin America end face mask rules - AA. Here are some countries mostly frequented by Filipinos that have eased or lifted the mandatory face mask protocol: Japan is one of the countries that controlled the spread of COVID-19 and has not seen a massive outbreak of the virus until 2021. The rule is enforceable byfinesof up to HK$10,000 ($1,275), with police regularly handing out HK$5,000 penalties on the spot for transgressors. 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. The omicron wave, which infected a vast majority of the country, also boosted the nation's immunity from prior infection for the timebeing. The guidance also is intended to give local officials a roadmap to re-imposing restrictions if another variant pops up, which health experts warn is a possibility. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. South Korea ended its indoor mask rule on January 30, 2023, but still recommends wearing masks, including in public transportation. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. CDC has previously recommended wearing a high-quality mask, such as a tight-fitting N95 version and avoiding areas with low vaccination levels. 2023 BBC. 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, There are other precautionary measures for air travelers in China. In a statement, the airline said it will respect anyones decision to choose whether to wear a mask or not after the mandate was finally lifted on Wednesday after more than 950 days. Masks will still be required in health care settings. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. unlikely to reach the United States market anytime soon, will end its aggressive but contentious vaccine mandate. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. The move will come into effect from March 1 and suggests that the administration is looking to restore some semblance of normalcy. Vietnam is cited as one of the success stories in its fight against COVID-19 and has fared better economically than many other countries. For the most part, people have followed the government's recommendations, and many private businesses require masks for customers. 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