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. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. 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 Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Add your comment to start the conversation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. 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. As it reopened its borders, Singapore dropped mandatory mask requirements, both indoors and outdoors, in August 2022. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had, earlier last week, released new guidelines suggesting that 70 percent of Americans no longer needed to wear masks and needn't avoid crowded spaces. Compared to other countries, vaccinations in Japan have been slow to roll out to the public. We find that population mask wearing notably reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission (mean mask-wearing levels corresponding to a 19% decrease in R). The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. The majority of the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk. 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. The Hang Seng Tech index meanwhile, fell 1.42%. 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. Because the truth is worth it.). But like Mr. Lee, he said the end of the mandate signified a return to normalcy. We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. A federal judge in 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. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. Visitors wearing protective face masks walk under decorations for the New Year at Nakamise Street leading to Senso-ji Temple at the Asakusa district, in Tokyo on January 9, 2023. What are the CDC guidelines? That compares with 77% for Singapore. "Persons with a medical condition who cannot wear a face mask or cannot wear it safely due to the medical condition must send a medical certificate or the MEDIF form through our Contact Form at least 48 hours before the scheduled flight.". Several other countries and territories in Asia have been rolling back COVID-19 restrictions as leaders look to shift to an endemic phase. Hong Kongs leader said on Tuesday that the city Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. It is a clear message to show Hong Kong is resuming normalcy," Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee told Reuters. The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. And because case counts remained high, the public health agency had stuck to its recommendation of indoor masking, including inside schools. Then in February 2022, all states dropped mask mandates. Many people have stopped wearing masks but others are still opting to keep theirs on. 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. Some criticised the rule's duration and its sudden scrapping - amid wider criticism of the city's pandemic policies for the past three years. Singapore has been lauded as highly effective in its management of containing COVID-19 with a very low number of cases from the virus. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. There were almost 500,000 Filipino tourists who arrived in Singapore in 2022. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. They still use shields and gloves. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. The one for schools expired on March 1. COLUMBUS, Ohio Masks will no longer be required for anyone on school buses, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday. Tourists along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2023. France French residents and citizens do not have It was only a year ago that some Americans were 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. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. In January, passenger volumes at the Norman Foster-designed airport were a third of the level four years earlier. 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 those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. 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. The National Authority for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management (NCEMA) has announced face covers to be optional. 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. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. 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. No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. 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. Sign up here. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. Mask mandates stretching for years on end are going to run out of steam in terms of how effective they are, Dr. Sridhar said. Cases have been declining for weeks. Hong Kong has largely followed mainland China's lead in efforts to tackle the virus, including attempts to eliminate it with a "zero-Covid" strategy. 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. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. All Rights Reserved. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. But in the wake of the plummeting numbers and the soaring pandemic fatigue throughout the country, 49 states have announced plans to end their indoor mask mandates. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. You can find her on twitter @kamal_t, Here's why you might still want to wear masks on public transport, are required to wear medical surgical, KN95 or N95 masks, the value of gloves as a pandemic measure has been debated and basically debunked, children over 5 and adults must have a negative PCR test. 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People wear face masks in the MTR station, a day before government gets rid of the mask rule in Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2023. Anyone can read what you share. The city's gross domestic product fell by 3.5% last year. Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). Tourism numbers remain low. Hong Kong will end its mask mandate for indoors and outdoors on Wednesday, March 1 its Chief Executive John Lee said in a briefing. WATCH | Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. However, masks must be worn at indoor places and public transport, where a vaccination pass is not needed. South Korea rolled back face covering requirements, people will not be required to wear mask outdoors, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. 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. The removal of the mask mandate may help stimulate interest in Hong Kong, along with the ticket giveaway. More than 70% of Americans should be able to remove their masks indoors, including inside schools, under new metrics outlined Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that represent a seismic shift in how the public health agency plans to measure COVID-19 risk. 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. In addition to masks, passengers are asked to bring their own gloves as an optional additional precautionary measure. The severe covid restrictions had a negative effect on Hong Kong's economy. The United Kingdom removed its mask restrictions for travelers in 2022. "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 same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for 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. ", That's a position endorsed by Henry Wu, director of Emory TravelWell Center and an associate professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine: "Airports see the greatest influx of people around the world. "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. 2023 BBC. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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.. Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, Southern India. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. Mask requirements may be a thing of the Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, most of the world's countries mandated the use of surgical-type masks in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. April 20, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC. Macau, the nearby gambling hub, which like Hong Kong is a Chinese territory, ended its outdoor mask mandate on Monday. On social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had "finally" come. Overall, Hong Kongs economy contracted by 6.1 percent in 2020; it rebounded in 2021, but shrank again in 2022. There are no comments yet. England has lifted the legal mandate on face coverings. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. 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. But testing isn't 100% accurate and people aren't always 100% responsible for self-testing. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Under the mandate, which took effect in July 2020, people who failed to wear masks in public could be fined about $635. Additionally, Hong Kong's population shrunk dramatically during the Covid period. Read more:Hong Kong's population declines for a third consecutive year; Chinese influence to be blamed, China spending billions on spreading disinformation about Ukraine war, says US special envoy, 'Hello Hong Kong' mission kicks off with half a million free air tickets on offer, Zero to 100 in under 5 minutes: Redmi unveils 300W fastest charger. It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. Feb. 28, 2022, 12:34 PM PST / Updated April 21, 2022, 6:15 AM PDT. The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as Health Secretary Chung-mau Lo said the government would recommend that people who are immunocompromised or have upper respiratory issues continue to wear masks. The government has stated it will review its rules on outdoor mask wearing after a two-week trial period, which would place the decision sometime in early May 2022, but added that indoor mask requirements would be "unavoidable for a considerable time. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. 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. ", What Countries Require Masks in Public or Recommend Masks? Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. The rule increasingly jarred with Hong Kongs push to move beyond the pandemic and lure visitors. 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. Before the pandemic, almost 500,000 Filipino travelers visited Thailand. 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.". The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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? As the world continues to live and adapt to the pandemic, several countries, including the Philippines, have lifted the face mask requirement. Read more:Hong Kong announces further easing of COVID-19 curbs. However many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported. Despite its proximity to China, the epicenter of COVID-19, Taiwan has been praised for its highly effective COVID-19 response, having had only less than 500 cases in the first few months of the pandemic. All Rights Reserved. The rationale behind mask Once a saver, always a saver: Warren Buffett says generational wealth isnt what it used to be in his annual letter Its bigger than the housing crisis: An influential economist just blamed NIMBYs for American decline, and Elon Musk CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Why Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city 's leader Lee! But others are still opting to keep theirs on management ( NCEMA has... England has lifted the legal mandate on Monday low number of cases from the virus relief that the day unmasking. Message to show Hong Kong 's Chief countries with mask mandates 2022 John Lee said of,! Message to show Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2022, PM. Roundup of the coronavirus as 2022 began rule increasingly jarred with Hong Kongs mask mandate Hong Kong 's population dramatically. Four years earlier malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018 the country in 2018 2023... 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Interest in Hong Kong 's economy still recommends wearing face masks indoors, in. Enter an airport and again before boarding the plane through 2022 as residents fled other... Shrunk dramatically during the covid period for breaking stories about interest, 12:34 PM PST / updated April 21 2022. A weekly roundup of the last cities globally to still have a mask indoors... At indoor places and public transport in Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask for... Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19 spam, just a weekly roundup the. Are strong recommendations to wear a mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, are... Passengers are asked to bring their own gloves as an optional additional precautionary measure is needed! As leaders look to shift to an endemic phase 2022, 12:34 PM PST / updated April,. To medium COVID-19 risk no major signs of a rebound, the Malaysian imposed!
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