Next month will see Hong Kong host the biggest series of international events since often-violent protests in 2019shut downmuch of the city, including a music festival, Art Basel and the Rugby Sevens tournament. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. 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. Tourism numbers remain low. Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. 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. As the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain continues to decline, the country recently removed the mandate for wearing masks in outdoor settings. Read about our approach to external linking. The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management (NCEMA) has announced face covers to be optional. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. 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. It, however, still recommends wearing masks indoors and in crowded places. DeSantis won't say he's running. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Taiwan announced in February that it has lifted the indoor mask mandate and has eased other restrictions. But some remain - primary and secondary school students still need to test daily for Covid, although some reports say this measure could be lifted later this month. But even as mask mandates for public transportation are debated and sometimes dropped many global health experts support them. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. Some criticised the rule's duration and its sudden scrapping - amid wider criticism of the city's pandemic policies for the past three years. Face masks must still be worn in closed spaces. 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. Masks will still be required in health care settings. 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. That compares with 77% for Singapore. Mask rules are changing yet again, this time on public transit. 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. As of April 2022, masks are required to be worn at all times when leaving the home, mandatory testing and quarantine centers have been reopened, and many schools and non-essential businesses have been temporarily closed again. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, most of the world's countries mandated the use of surgical-type masks in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. Here is a list. 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. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for Learn more. Mexico removed all entry requirements, including the mandatory health form, on January 1, 2022. 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(The authorities see gloves as a deterrent to infection even though the value of gloves as a pandemic measure has been debated and basically debunked). Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Sign up here. China has a zero-COVID policy. Rappler.com. Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. Learn how your comment data is processed. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. There are no comments yet. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Mask requirements may be a thing of the So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. But in the wake of the plummeting numbers and the soaring pandemic fatigue throughout the country, 49 states have announced plans to end their indoor mask mandates. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. For much of the pandemic, Hong Kong has followed mainland China's so-called "zero COVID" policy, enforcing harsh restrictions -- such as universal masking -- in an attempt to prevent outbreaks. Hong Kong was one of the world's last masking holdouts. 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.". South Korea rolled back face covering requirements, people will not be required to wear mask outdoors, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And so for that reason, we're recommending that schools use the same guidance that we are recommending in general community settings, which is that we're recommending people where a mask in high levels of COVID-19" risk, said Dr. Greta Massetti, a senior CDC official. Two new studies on the effectiveness of mask mandates and city-level COVID-19 vaccine mandates concluded the policies failed to achieve their promised objectives.. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. As part of its Hello Hong Kong campaign, the city is giving away more thanhalf a millionairline tickets starting from Wednesday. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. The airline is, however, aware that many Hong Kongers may feel nervous about being around unmasked passengers or crew members for long periods in these cases, the airline has asked nervous passengers not to fly until they feel comfortable around unmasked seatmates. Other Covid curbs in Hong Kong included strict quarantine rules, limitations on the number of people gathering in public places, as well as restricting visitors in nursing homes. Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as The removal of the mask mandate may help stimulate interest in Hong Kong, along with the ticket giveaway. 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. From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy, Lee said. People deserve choice in terms of how they are protecting themselves, and they have been doing this since the very first days of the pandemic, and they are going to continue to do that., Hong Kong, One of Worlds Last Holdouts, Ends Its Mask Mandate, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/world/asia/hong-kong-mask-mandate.html. South Korea ended its indoor mask rule on January 30, 2023, but still recommends wearing masks, including in public transportation. 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. April 20, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. The United Kingdom is home to an estimated 200,000 Filipinos. Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. Mask mandates stretching for years on end are going to run out of steam in terms of how effective they are, Dr. Sridhar said. In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. 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. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. 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The one for schools expired on March 1. All Rights Reserved. ABC News' Britt Clennett contributed to this report. Add your comment to start the conversation. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. LATAM airline, based in Santiago, Chile, has a lengthy mask dissertation: "No passenger may board the aircraft without a mask, or without its proper use. Many people have stopped wearing masks but others are still opting to keep theirs on. Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd., which sells beauty products, climbed as much as 6.4%. 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. "We look forward to a better tomorrow, which is the 1st of March so that we can all put a smile on our faces say, 'Hello, Hong Kong,'" he said, according to Hong Kong Free Press. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. The new recommendations are a major change in how the federal government is approaching pandemic guidance. 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. This year and the next year, we will focus on the economy and development.. The rule was first enforced on July 29, 2020, and directed individuals to wear masks in all public places. Under previous rules, the CDC primarily considered COVID-19 case counts to determine risk. In Italy, face masks are no longer required in public places. 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. 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. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. 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. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. 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. Your email address will not be published. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Before the pandemic, almost 500,000 Filipino travelers visited Thailand. France only requires masks in health care facilities. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. After much criticism, the Hong Kong authorities in December last year decided to lift its contentious "amber code," which forced residents to use an app to enter any venue. What are the CDC guidelines? 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. Then in February 2022, all states dropped mask mandates. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. You can find her on twitter @kamal_t, Here's why you might still want to wear masks on public transport, are required to wear medical surgical, KN95 or N95 masks, the value of gloves as a pandemic measure has been debated and basically debunked, children over 5 and adults must have a negative PCR test. And not just any mask will do. Cases have been declining for weeks. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. 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 Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Most states either don't have a statewide mask She also noted that people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to it should continue to mask, regardless of what risk-level their community has. 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. As the world continues to live and adapt to the pandemic, several countries, including the Philippines, have lifted the face mask requirement. Lo Chung-mau, director of the Medical and Health Bureau, said at the press conference that he expects cases of respiratory viruses, such he expects the peak to be short and that it will have very little impact on public health systems. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. Masks however, are still required for everyone, onboard all domestic flights. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. While mask rules vary by park, they are still required on all forms of enclosed public transportation, the NPS noted. There were almost 500,000 Filipino tourists who arrived in Singapore in 2022. But in mid-March the rules were revised; PPEs are no longer required for cabin crew onboard. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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