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. Masks will still be required in health care settings. The move comes as the government seeks to attract tourists and overseas workers to revitalize the finance hub. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. 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. Hong Kong to scrap almost all its Covid rules, Hong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. Rappler.com. Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. However many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported. The states masking rule for businesses and workplaces expired on Feb. 11. 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 Which other countries have lifted the mask mandate? Wearing face covers in open spaces is no longer a mandate in UAE. The United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. 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. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. 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. Taiwan announced in February that it has lifted the indoor mask mandate and has eased other restrictions. 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 In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. France French residents and citizens do not have This is an indication that Filipinos have found value in wearing a mask and would really want to protect themselves and their families, Vergeire said. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. While mask mandates and restrictions had started to relax in China in late 2021, the Omicron variant caused a resurgence in both COVID-19 cases and the addendant restrictions that accompany them in early 2022. Philadelphia: Masks are currently required at the Philadelphia International Airport and in many of the citys indoor spaces, like restaurants, museums, sporting areas 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. However, masks must be worn at indoor places and public transport, where a vaccination pass is not needed. By Sarah Jacoby. Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. Hong Kongs leader said on Tuesday that the city would lift its mask mandate, one of the last such policies in the world, effectively ending what had been one of the pandemics strictest Covid regimes. According to the Brazilian report, the governor of Sao Paulo city, Joao Doria tweeted, "Finally without masks. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. 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. In 2019, half a million Filipino tourists visited the country. Face coverings or masks were required at all shops, offices, and hairdressers. On the no-no list: Fabric or reusable masks on flights within Chile. It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. Most states either don't have a statewide mask Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. 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. Already have Rappler+? What are the CDC guidelines? Under Cap 599I Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation, the government legislation that covers the mandate, residents have been In case of refusal to use it before or during the flight, you will be reported as an unruly passenger to the respective authorities. Heres where. India Dot Com Private Limited. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). 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. El Salvador no longer requires masks in public spaces. Anyone can read what you share. We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six Switzerland removed its indoor mask mandate on February 17, 2022. Health Secretary Chung-mau Lo said the government would recommend that people who are immunocompromised or have upper respiratory issues continue to wear masks. Based on that risk level, which could fluctuate, a community could opt to remove mask recommendations indoors or pull back on other mitigation measures, such as surveillance testing. Cloth masks were deemed no longer acceptable, and people were required to wear medical-grade masks. 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. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. France only requires masks in health care facilities. 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. Places where social distancing is not followed. "None of us know what the future holds for us and for this virus," Walensky said. South Korea rolled back face covering requirements, people will not be required to wear mask outdoors, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Mall landlords Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. and New World Development Co. rose more than 1.4%. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. 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. 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.". MANILA, Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all countries worldwide to impose lockdown measures and travel restrictions to avoid spreading the virus. It was only a year ago that some Americans were Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. Finland is entirely free of mask-related rules. Read about our approach to external linking. Thepopulationhas fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. While mask rules vary by park, they are still required on all forms of enclosed public transportation, the NPS noted. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for 945 days, people could be fined up to HK$5,000 (530; $640). Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. Compared to other countries, vaccinations in Japan have been slow to roll out to the public. There are no comments yet. 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 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. A mask can be the cheapest, simplest tool to protect you from infections in these situations.". Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. 2022. Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. 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. 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. 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. Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many 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. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Learn more. Hong Kong will end its mask mandate for indoors and outdoors on Wednesday, March 1 its Chief Executive John Lee said in a briefing. 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. 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. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. "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. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. 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. 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. Additionally, Hong Kong's population shrunk dramatically during the Covid period. These interventions made travel safer and possible, especially for senior citizens during the pandemic, says Toole, who is age 75. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. With the improvement of the COVID-19 situation, Indonesia has scrapped indoor mask mandates and removed all the remaining restrictions when entering buildings in 2022. 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. A federal judge in No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. 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 The only places where masks are still required include hospitals and public transit. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. Indonesia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that was greatly affected by the pandemic and had experienced surges of cases since 2020. Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd., which sells beauty products, climbed as much as 6.4%. 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. People wear face masks in the MTR station, a day before government gets rid of the mask rule in Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2023. 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. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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. Macau, the nearby gambling hub, which like Hong Kong is a Chinese territory, ended its outdoor mask mandate on Monday. 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