", What Countries Require Masks in Public or Recommend Masks? Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. 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. Why is it important to subscribe? Under previous rules, the CDC primarily considered COVID-19 case counts to determine risk. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. 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. France only requires masks in health care facilities. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. Authorities claiming that the virus is no longer considered a 'critical threat'. 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. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. 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 face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. Add your comment to start the conversation. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. DeSantis won't say he's running. Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. Most previous work focused on mask mandates; we study the effect of mask wearing directly. Under the mandate, which took effect in July 2020, people who failed to wear masks in public could be fined about $635. Which other countries have lifted the mask mandate? VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. Face coverings or masks were required at all shops, offices, and hairdressers. "Persons with a medical condition who cannot wear a face mask or cannot wear it safely due to the medical condition must send a medical certificate or the MEDIF form through our Contact Form at least 48 hours before the scheduled flight.". "And we need to be prepared and we need to be ready for whatever comes next. 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. But in mid-March the rules were revised; PPEs are no longer required for cabin crew onboard. Thousands died, many of them seniors who had not been vaccinated. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as There are no comments yet. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Face masks must still be worn in closed spaces. Now to Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. Thepopulationhas fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. In 2022, there were 126,900 Filipinos who visited the country. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for example. Estonia has no mask rules at this time. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. They still use shields and gloves. That compares with 77% for Singapore. Sign up here. Hawaii An indoor mask mandate, the final statewide As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. The Hang Seng Tech index Accordingly, the CDC would no longer recommend that these communities insist on indoor masking. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. - 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. Upgrade to Rappler+ for exclusive content and unlimited access. However, the situation is still in flux, with mandates often lifted or reinstated on a day-to-day basis as cases surge or wane in a given country or new COVID-19 variants emerge. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. Mask mandates stretching for years on end are going to run out of steam in terms of how effective they are, Dr. Sridhar said. 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. On the no-no list: Fabric or reusable masks on flights within Chile. Hong Kong had dropped most other pandemic restrictions by earlier this year. However, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing on Tuesday, February 8, that Filipinos are still willing to wear face masks despite the ease of restrictions. In case of refusal to use it before or during the flight, you will be reported as an unruly passenger to the respective authorities. 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?". 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Here is a list. 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. The progress of vaccination and drop in hospitalizations and deaths allow us to take this measure.". But Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that restrictions there would gradually lift with mask and remote work mandates easing early next month and Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. 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 Kongs tough Covid controls, which until last year also included limits on group gatherings, flight bans and long hotel quarantines, were criticized by business leaders and others, who said they were needlessly damaging peoples livelihoods, as well as the citys status as a finance center and a tourist destination. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. Heres where. Tourism numbers remain low. 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. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. 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.. 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 United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. In a bid to woo foreign visitors, the Hong Kong government has announced plans to give away half a million air tickets - beginning on Wednesday. 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 Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. "It's not a good time to drop the interventions that we know have been effective. Passengers are required to wear medical surgical, KN95 or N95 masks from the time of check-in at the airport through the duration of the flight and until you leave the airport. 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. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had, earlier last week, released new guidelines suggesting that 70 percent of Americans no longer needed to wear masks and needn't avoid crowded spaces. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. Instead of heavily relying on the number of COVID-19 cases to gauge mask effectiveness, the CDC is assessing local hospital capacity and rate of hospitalisation to formulate key measures in the USA. "With the masking requirement removed, we are starting to resume to normalcy comprehensively and that will be very beneficial to the economic development, our international competitiveness, as well as our activities which involve everyone in Hong Kong," Lee said. 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. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. "None of us know what the future holds for us and for this virus," Walensky said. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. 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. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. 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. Under the new metrics, more than half of U.S. counties, which make up about three-fourths of where Americans live, are now considered to be at "low" or "medium" risk because of a reduced number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations and adequate hospital space. The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. Singapore has been lauded as highly effective in its management of containing COVID-19 with a very low number of cases from the virus. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. Taiwan announced in February that it has lifted the indoor mask mandate and has eased other restrictions. 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 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. 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. Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. Because many locations are allowed to determine their own mandates on masks, some outbreaks have occurred. All rights reserved. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Leaders in Hong Kong hope the easing of requirements will help bring back tourists and businesses. In the same month, further easing of the city's social distancing rules was announced and the previously mandatory negative COVID-19 RAT ( rapid antigen test) result requirement was also scrapped. Most states either don't have a statewide mask 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. Taken together, an area to be "high," "medium" or "low" risk. Before the pandemic, almost 500,000 Filipino travelers visited Thailand. 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. 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. No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. 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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. 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. India Dot Com Private Limited. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. 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. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. The removal of the mask mandate may help stimulate interest in Hong Kong, along with the ticket giveaway. 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. 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 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.". Most states either don't have a statewide mask mandate in place or have announced plans to drop their mandates soon. There will no longer be a need to wear a mask on Cathay Pacific flights or in its airport lounges. "In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.". Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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. 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. But that approach didn't take into account that vaccinations are now widely available to people over age 5 and that most vaccinated people who tested positive during the omicron and delta waves experienced mostly mild symptoms that did not require hospitalization. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. 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. In February, the Japanese government announced that on March 13, it will start to ease restrictions on mask-wearing including in public transportation and schools. A mask can be the cheapest, simplest tool to protect you from infections in these situations.". But like Mr. Lee, he said the end of the mandate signified a return to normalcy. In a press conference Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee said residents and tourists will not be required to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation for the first time in nearly three years. Mask rules are changing yet again, this time on public transit. Updated: 11:07 PM EST February 25, 2022. 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. And not just any mask will do. The rule was first enforced on July 29, 2020, and directed individuals to wear masks in all public places. 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. Switzerland removed its indoor mask mandate on February 17, 2022. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. As it reopened its borders, Singapore dropped mandatory mask requirements, both indoors and outdoors, in August 2022. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Be ready for whatever comes next been lauded as highly effective in its management containing! 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