It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. ABC News' Britt Clennett contributed to this report. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Hawaii An indoor mask mandate, the final statewide Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. Hong Kong has largely followed mainland China's lead in efforts to tackle the virus, including attempts to eliminate it with a "zero-Covid" strategy. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. 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 Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. Leaders in Hong Kong hope the easing of requirements will help bring back tourists and businesses. 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. It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. We are witnessing the Great Unmasking, with masks mandates falling faster, even, than plummeting Omicron caseloads. With more than 92% of its population of 67+ million people vaccinated, France chose to lift the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. Hoping to revive tourism, the city recently announced plans to give away half a million plane tickets to foreign visitors, and the authorities have continued to roll back the remaining restrictions. 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. 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. 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. Hong Kong was one of the world's last masking holdouts. 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. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Ruling party wins Nigeria's presidential election, Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran, Finland starts construction of Russia border fence, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study, Pictures show devastation after Greece train disaster. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices The government has stated it will review its rules on outdoor mask wearing after a two-week trial period, which would place the decision sometime in early May 2022, but added that indoor mask requirements would be "unavoidable for a considerable time. 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. In January, passenger volumes at the Norman Foster-designed airport were a third of the level four years earlier. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. Japan has been one of the main travel destinations of Filipinos in the past years. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Tourism numbers remain low. Already have Rappler+? It is a clear message to show Hong Kong is resuming normalcy," Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee told Reuters. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. South African Airways requires that children over 5 and adults must have a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure for all international flights, and must complete a "Traveler Health Questionnaire" on arrival, asking such things as, "Did you change your seat during the trip?". A sign on the door of a coffee shop in Manhattan ask for proof of vaccination and the wearing of a mask on the day that a mask mandate went into effect in New York While Germany had seemed at times to have much of the virus under control, mask mandates and restrictions tightened in January 2021. Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. 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. In 2022, the country lifted the mandatory face mask and relaxed rules of wearing it in public places. 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, Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. 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. The United Kingdom is home to an estimated 200,000 Filipinos. 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. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on Cathay Pacific has told passengers who are nervous or uncomfortable around seatmates who choose not to wear a face mask on one of the airlines flights to postpone their travel plans after Hong Kong lifted its years-long mask mandate. Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Add your comment to start the conversation. With mask mandates going away, is that helpful. In Italy, face masks are no longer required in public places. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for A child acting as hallway monitor watches as children move about a hallway wearing COVID-19 protective masks at Carter Traditional Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. 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 In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. But those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. Vietnam is cited as one of the success stories in its fight against COVID-19 and has fared better economically than many other countries. 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. 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. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. 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. There will no longer be a need to wear a mask on Cathay Pacific flights or in its airport lounges. Read about our approach to external linking. - 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. 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.. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. WATCH |Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Masks are The progress of vaccination and drop in hospitalizations and deaths allow us to take this measure.". Additionally, Hong Kong's population shrunk dramatically during the Covid period. As of April 2022, the emergence of COVID-19 vaccinnes (as well as increased availability of treatment) has enabled many countries to relax their mask mandates. "In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.". All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas A federal judge in As the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain continues to decline, the country recently removed the mandate for wearing masks in outdoor settings. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. 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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. We find that population mask wearing notably reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission (mean mask-wearing levels corresponding to a 19% decrease in R). Venezuela was among the first countries to impose the mandatory use of face masks in public back in March. However many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported. Vietnam made face masks compulsory for people to wear in public on March 16. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. 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. As it reopened its borders, Singapore dropped mandatory mask requirements, both indoors and outdoors, in August 2022. Taken together, an area to be "high," "medium" or "low" risk. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management (NCEMA) has announced face covers to be optional. So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. 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. Most states either don't have a statewide mask Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. The omicron wave, which infected a vast majority of the country, also boosted the nation's immunity from prior infection for the timebeing. 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. "After looking at all the data, the trends They still use shields and gloves. This move seeks to relax public health measures for economic and social activities. 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. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. Hong Kong is ending its mask mandate Wednesday, becoming one of the world's last cities to drop rules demanding face coverings. Masking up is still a requirement with a number of airlines: Air France, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, South African Airways and Malaysian, to name a few. 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. Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images The new recommendations are a major change in how the federal government is approaching pandemic guidance. The following are the CDC guidelines in the USA for areas of: Wear if in contact with someone at high risk for severe illness, Masks required indoors and in public places. Because the truth is worth it.). According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. The controls, which changed frequently and with little warning, came at a heavy cost to residents and contributed to an exodus from the city. Accordingly, the CDC would no longer recommend that these communities insist on indoor masking. 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. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. 2023 BBC. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. However, masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. It's too premature," says Mike Toole, a founding member of Medicins sans Frontiers in Australia and an associate research fellow at Burnet Institute whose work revolves around infectious diseases and international health. 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