Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. "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. Accordingly, the CDC would no longer recommend that these communities insist on indoor masking. 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. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for example. 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. 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. In a press conference on April 20, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, Dr. Carissa Etienne, noted: "The WHO's emergency committee last week declared that the COVID health pandemic still constitutes an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world. 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. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. In recent days, officials announced that visitors to hospitals and nursing homes would no longer have to show PCR test results, and that starting in March, students would not be required to take daily rapid antigen tests before attending school. At least now tourists dont have to worry about being fined for not wearing a mask in the street, said Pamela Mak, president of Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association. 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. Read more:Hong Kong announces further easing of COVID-19 curbs. Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. 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. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. Additionally, Hong Kong's population shrunk dramatically during the Covid period. 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.. Your email address will not be published. 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 those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. 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. 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. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. They still use shields and gloves. 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. And there are still some inflight announcements about infection prevention for instance, reminding passengers not to touch their face, In China and other countries you'll also need medical documents in order to fly. People deserve choice in terms of how they are protecting themselves, and they have been doing this since the very first days of the pandemic, and they are going to continue to do that., Hong Kong, One of Worlds Last Holdouts, Ends Its Mask Mandate, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/world/asia/hong-kong-mask-mandate.html. Hong Kong is ending its mask mandate Wednesday, becoming one of the world's last cities to drop rules demanding face coverings. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. Most states either don't have a statewide mask mandate in place or have announced plans to drop their mandates soon. Now to Because many locations are allowed to determine their own mandates on masks, some outbreaks have occurred. With the removal of the mask mandate, Hong Kong will return to normal all around, and in this year and the coming year will go all out for the economy and development at full speed, Mr. Lee said. This move seeks to relax public health measures for economic and social activities. The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management (NCEMA) has announced face covers to be optional. Thepopulationhas fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. However, masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. There were almost 500,000 Filipino tourists who arrived in Singapore in 2022. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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. The United Kingdom is home to an estimated 200,000 Filipinos. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. A mask can be the cheapest, simplest tool to protect you from infections in these situations.". (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino 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. The omicron wave, which infected a vast majority of the country, also boosted the nation's immunity from prior infection for the timebeing. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. Hong Kongs leader said on Tuesday that the city - 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. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. "With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy," Mr Lee said on Tuesday. On the no-no list: Fabric or reusable masks on flights within Chile. The only places where masks are still required include hospitals and public transit. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas Learn how your comment data is processed. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. Additionally, last week, the gambling hub of Macao said people will not be required to wear mask outdoors but will still be required in elderly care homes, hospitals and public transit. Vietnam is cited as one of the success stories in its fight against COVID-19 and has fared better economically than many other countries. France French residents and citizens do not have In case of refusal to use it before or during the flight, you will be reported as an unruly passenger to the respective authorities. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. Why is it important to subscribe? These interventions made travel safer and possible, especially for senior citizens during the pandemic, says Toole, who is age 75. Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for 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. Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. Because the truth is worth it.). 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. 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. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. Terms & Conditions. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. 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. 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. And not just any mask will do. 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. As part of its Hello Hong Kong campaign, the city is giving away more thanhalf a millionairline tickets starting from Wednesday. Hong Kong will end its mask mandate for indoors and outdoors on Wednesday, March 1 its Chief Executive John Lee said in a briefing. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. Some criticised the rule's duration and its sudden scrapping - amid wider criticism of the city's pandemic policies for the past three years. 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