The Hang Seng Tech index The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. 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. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. Anyone can read what you share. When asked why it dropped its universal masking recommendation for schools, the CDC said the lower risk of serious COVID-19 illness in kids was a factor. Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. Most states either don't have a statewide mask 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. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. 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. Face masks must still be worn in closed spaces. Venezuela was among the first countries to impose the mandatory use of face masks in public back in March. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. Hong Kong will end its mask mandate for indoors and outdoors on Wednesday, March 1 its Chief Executive John Lee said in a briefing. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. 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. The United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. Mexico removed all entry requirements, including the mandatory health form, on January 1, 2022. As of Wednesday, the city will no longer require people to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation. Add your comment to start the conversation. According to reports, the country saw an exodus of 187,000 people in the last three years as residents escaped to safer pastures. "It's not a good time to drop the interventions that we know have been effective. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. 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. The rationale behind mask Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. Vietnam made face masks compulsory for people to wear in public on March 16. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. France French residents and citizens do not have 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 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. 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. Because many locations are allowed to determine their own mandates on masks, some outbreaks have occurred. However, masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. Overall, Hong Kongs economy contracted by 6.1 percent in 2020; it rebounded in 2021, but shrank again in 2022. Although Cathay Pacific is free to enforce its own mandate, the airline has chosen to follow the lead of the Hong Kong government and lift masking rules from March 1. 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. However, in light of the current vaccination reates and relatively low virus prevalence, the South Korean government announced in April 2022 that it would be lifting all social distancing rules. 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. Despite its proximity to China, the epicenter of COVID-19, Taiwan has been praised for its highly effective COVID-19 response, having had only less than 500 cases in the first few months of the pandemic. The controls, which changed frequently and with little warning, came at a heavy cost to residents and contributed to an exodus from the city. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. 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. April 20, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC. 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?". "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. However many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. 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. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for 945 days, people could be fined up to HK$5,000 (530; $640). 2023 BBC. 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. 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. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 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. 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. Iceland Iceland was one of the first countries in 2022 to remove all their internal covid-related restrictions, as well as their entry requirements, returning to a pre-pandemic normal. 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. The progress of vaccination and drop in hospitalizations and deaths allow us to take this measure.". The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for example. In 2022, the country lifted the mandatory face mask and relaxed rules of wearing it in public places. Hong Kong was one of the world's last masking holdouts. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. Most of these curbs were rolled back at the end of last year. In India, for example, the Ministry of Civil Aviation set regulations as of May 2020 that all flight crew were required to be in PPE a full protective body suit, (similar to the kind medical professionals wear) with masks, gloves and face shield. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? What's he waiting for? The number of destinations on the list is slowly increasing, including plenty in Europe. 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 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 MANILA, Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all countries worldwide to impose lockdown measures and travel restrictions to avoid spreading the virus. Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. A federal judge in If those risk factors climbed, putting a community at "high" risk, the CDC recommends that a community urges its residents to return to masks and step up other precautions. Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. 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. The rule was first enforced on July 29, 2020, and directed individuals to wear masks in all public places. "And we need to be prepared and we need to be ready for whatever comes next. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. All Rights Reserved. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. 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 new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. Terms & Conditions. 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. Indonesia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that was greatly affected by the pandemic and had experienced surges of cases since 2020. BY Tristan Bove. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. Emirates Wants to Massively Expand its Operations in India By Adding 50,000 Seats Per Week. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? Tourists along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2023. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. Sign up here. 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. 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. Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, Southern India. 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. Thepopulationhas fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. Almost 100,000 Filipino tourists arrived in Indonesia before the pandemic. 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 "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. 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. Before Wednesday, people living in Hong Kong had to wear a mask in any public area. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. Rappler.com. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. 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, 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. Places where social distancing is not followed. Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. 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. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. "After looking at all the data, the trends and the fact that the winter surge [of influenza] is nearing the end, in order to give people a very clear message that Hong Kong is resuming to normalcy, I think this is the right time to make the decision," Lee said. Mask mandates stretching for years on end are going to run out of steam in terms of how effective they are, Dr. Sridhar said. Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. (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). Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. Nevertheless, face masks should still be worn 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. 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. Miss a day, miss a lot. Harrelson Already have Rappler+? New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. CDC has previously recommended wearing a high-quality mask, such as a tight-fitting N95 version and avoiding areas with low vaccination levels. There are no comments yet. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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