The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. Heres where. Leaders in Hong Kong hope the easing of requirements will help bring back tourists and businesses. The move will come into effect from March 1 and suggests that the administration is looking to restore some semblance of normalcy. 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. 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. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. 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. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. We find that population mask wearing notably reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission (mean mask-wearing levels corresponding to a 19% decrease in R). "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. Upgrade to Rappler+ for exclusive content and unlimited access. What's he waiting for? 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. Masks however, are still required for everyone, onboard all domestic flights. 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. In Italy, face masks are no longer required in public places. 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.. 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 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. 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. But even as mask mandates for public transportation are debated and sometimes dropped many global health experts support them. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). "None of us know what the future holds for us and for this virus," Walensky said. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Most states either don't have a statewide mask 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. 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. 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 Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. Cathay Pacific has told passengers who are nervous or uncomfortable around seatmates who choose not to wear a face mask on one of the airlines flights to postpone their travel plans after Hong Kong lifted its years-long mask mandate. But like Mr. Lee, he said the end of the mandate signified a return to normalcy. 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. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. The new recommendations are a major change in how the federal government is approaching pandemic guidance. 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. (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. 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Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. France only requires masks in health care facilities. The Hang Seng Tech index 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. China has a zero-COVID policy. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy, Lee said. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. The strongest predictor of how the places did were vaccination rates. New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. Places where social distancing is not followed. Rappler.com. As it reopened its borders, Singapore dropped mandatory mask requirements, both indoors and outdoors, in August 2022. 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. We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six Anyone can read what you share. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. 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. Mall landlords Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. and New World Development Co. rose more than 1.4%. Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. Emirates Wants to Massively Expand its Operations in India By Adding 50,000 Seats Per Week. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. 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. The one for schools expired on March 1. But as the pandemic situation continued to get better, the US government announced in 2022 that wearing face masks will no longer be mandatory. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. As part of its Hello Hong Kong campaign, the city is giving away more thanhalf a millionairline tickets starting from Wednesday. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. 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. 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. 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. 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. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. Compared to other countries, vaccinations in Japan have been slow to roll out to the public. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. 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. Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical virologist at the University of Hong Kong, noted that when the virus began spreading in the city in early 2020, its residents almost universally wore masks, even before they became mandatory. There are other precautionary measures for air travelers in China. 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. Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. 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