A mask can be the cheapest, simplest tool to protect you from infections in these situations.". In 2019, half a million Filipino tourists visited the country. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. However, government officials have explicitly stated that plans could change as new data and/or disease cases emerge. Finland is entirely free of mask-related rules. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. Thousands died, many of them seniors who had not been vaccinated. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. "In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.". Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, Southern India. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for 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 know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. 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. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. CDC has previously recommended wearing a high-quality mask, such as a tight-fitting N95 version and avoiding areas with low vaccination levels. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. 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. 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. Before Wednesday, people living in Hong Kong had to wear a mask in any public area. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. Masking up is still a requirement with a number of airlines: Air France, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Pakistan International Airlines, South African Airways and Malaysian, to name a few. 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. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. 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. Authorities claiming that the virus is no longer considered a 'critical threat'. The United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. "It's not a good time to drop the interventions that we know have been effective. 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. The new recommendations are a major change in how the federal government is approaching pandemic guidance. Harrelson 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. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. This other country in East Asia is also one of the major success stories in containing COVID-19 and has never experienced massive lockdowns like any other country. People have beenrequiredto wear masks in all public places, including outdoors, from July 29, 2020. By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. 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 majority of the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 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. The strongest predictor of how the places did were vaccination rates. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. 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. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. But those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. 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. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. - 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. The severe covid restrictions had a negative effect on Hong Kong's economy. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. 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. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Already have Rappler+? In case of refusal to use it before or during the flight, you will be reported as an unruly passenger to the respective authorities. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. The omicron wave, which infected a vast majority of the country, also boosted the nation's immunity from prior infection for the timebeing. 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. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. And not just any mask will do. As of Wednesday, the city will no longer require people to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation. 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. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. South Korea has mandated mask-wearing in both indoor and outdoor public locations since the beginning of the pandemic. WATCH |Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? 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. 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, BY Tristan Bove. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. Masks will still be required in health care settings. According to reports, the country saw an exodus of 187,000 people in the last three years as residents escaped to safer pastures. Which other countries have lifted the mask mandate? Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. Face coverings or masks were required at all shops, offices, and hairdressers. 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. In 2022, there were 126,900 Filipinos who visited the country. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. All Rights Reserved. For business its a game changer, said Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Ltd. Before, a lot of people would stay away from Hong Kong because the mask was showing that we were still stuck in the Covid days.. While mask rules vary by park, they are still required on all forms of enclosed public transportation, the NPS noted. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. 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. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Ruling party wins Nigeria's presidential election, Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran, Finland starts construction of Russia border fence, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study, Pictures show devastation after Greece train disaster. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. 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. Learn more. Read about our approach to external linking. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. By Sarah Jacoby. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. We find that population mask wearing notably reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission (mean mask-wearing levels corresponding to a 19% decrease in R). 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. 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. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. Hong Kong is ending its mask mandate Wednesday, becoming one of the world's last cities to drop rules demanding face coverings. India Dot Com Private Limited. The number of destinations on the list is slowly increasing, including plenty in Europe. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. Health Secretary Chung-mau Lo said the government would recommend that people who are immunocompromised or have upper respiratory issues continue to wear masks. However, masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. The one for schools expired on March 1. 2023 BBC. Leaders in Hong Kong hope the easing of requirements will help bring back tourists and businesses. Because many locations are allowed to determine their own mandates on masks, some outbreaks have occurred. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. They still use shields and gloves. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake, What we've learned from Alex Murdaugh murder trial. Hong Kong had dropped most other pandemic restrictions by earlier this year. 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. 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. 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. Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. China has a zero-COVID policy. The Hang Seng Tech index meanwhile, fell 1.42%. Hong Kongs tough Covid controls, which until last year also included limits on group gatherings, flight bans and long hotel quarantines, were criticized by business leaders and others, who said they were needlessly damaging peoples livelihoods, as well as the citys status as a finance center and a tourist destination. 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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 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 many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. But even as mask mandates for public transportation are debated and sometimes dropped many global health experts support them. 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. Failing to comply with the rules could see authorities slapping a fine of up to $1,275 (HK$ 10,000). Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. 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 BY Tristan Bove. Masks however, are still required for everyone, onboard all domestic flights. 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. 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. 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