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. 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 Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Under the mandate, which took effect in July 2020, people who failed to wear masks in public could be fined about $635. Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, Southern India. India Dot Com Private Limited. 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. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. Tourism numbers remain low. 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. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. COLUMBUS, Ohio Masks will no longer be required for anyone on school buses, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. Ky., Jan. 24, 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. 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. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. Mask rules are changing yet again, this time on public transit. We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. Mask requirements may be a thing of the "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. Philadelphia: Masks are currently required at the Philadelphia International Airport and in many of the citys indoor spaces, like restaurants, museums, sporting areas Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport, Hong Kong leader John Lee told reporters on Tuesday. The progress of vaccination and drop in hospitalizations and deaths allow us to take this measure.". What's he waiting for? 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. There were almost 500,000 Filipino tourists who arrived in Singapore in 2022. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. 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. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. 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 Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. That compares with 77% for Singapore. It is a clear message to show Hong Kong is resuming normalcy," Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee told Reuters. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. CDC has previously recommended wearing a high-quality mask, such as a tight-fitting N95 version and avoiding areas with low vaccination levels. 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. In 2019, half a million Filipino tourists visited the country. Authorities claiming that the virus is no longer considered a 'critical threat'. The move comes as the government seeks to attract tourists and overseas workers to revitalize the finance hub. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. 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. 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. 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 majority of the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk. This year and the next year, we will focus on the economy and development.. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. Hong Kong was one of the world's last masking holdouts. The states masking rule for businesses and workplaces expired on Feb. 11. 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 Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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, Here is a list. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. In 2022, there were 126,900 Filipinos who visited the country. 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. 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. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. Tourists along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2023. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism. 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. 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, masks must be worn at indoor places and public transport, where a vaccination pass is not needed. Overall, Hong Kongs economy contracted by 6.1 percent in 2020; it rebounded in 2021, but shrank again in 2022. 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 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. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. 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? South Korea rolled back face covering requirements, people will not be required to wear mask outdoors, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. While mask rules vary by park, they are still required on all forms of enclosed public transportation, the NPS noted. "None of us know what the future holds for us and for this virus," Walensky said. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on In Italy, face masks are no longer required in public places. The US is one of the countries severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the early stages of the outbreak with a recorded 103 million cases. 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. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. Read about our approach to external linking. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. Read about our approach to external linking. The rationale behind mask In January, passenger volumes at the Norman Foster-designed airport were a third of the level four years earlier. From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy, Lee said. 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. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Hong Kong is ending its mask mandate Wednesday, becoming one of the world's last cities to drop rules demanding face coverings. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. While Germany had seemed at times to have much of the virus under control, mask mandates and restrictions tightened in January 2021. 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. 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. 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. According to the Brazilian report, the governor of Sao Paulo city, Joao Doria tweeted, "Finally without masks. Compared to other countries, vaccinations in Japan have been slow to roll out to the public. 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. 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 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. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. People wear face masks in the MTR station, a day before government gets rid of the mask rule in Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2023. Miss a day, miss a lot. Why is it important to subscribe? 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. 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. Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. BY Tristan Bove. 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. 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. Learn more. (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). Face coverings or masks were required at all shops, offices, and hairdressers. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. 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. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. Schools were closed for months on end, residents of nursing homes were denied visitors, and restaurants and bars saw their hours restricted or had to shut entirely. Hong Kong largely avoided mass outbreaks in the first two years of the pandemic by imposing tight border controls and social distancing policies, in an attempt to bring its caseload as close to zero as possible. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. 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. 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The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. 2022. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "It's not a good time to drop the interventions that we know have been effective. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. "In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.". 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. "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. 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. 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