The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. Because many locations are allowed to determine their own mandates on masks, some outbreaks have occurred. But like Mr. Lee, he said the end of the mandate signified a return to normalcy. 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. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. A child acting as hallway monitor watches as children move about a hallway wearing COVID-19 protective masks at Carter Traditional Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. 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. Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. 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. Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. 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. This move seeks to relax public health measures for economic and social activities. 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. - 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. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport, Hong Kong leader John Lee told reporters on Tuesday. "We know that also because children are relatively at lower risk from severe illness that schools can be safe places for children. BY Tristan Bove. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. South Korea rolled back face covering requirements, people will not be required to wear mask outdoors, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. 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. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. 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. Upgrade to Rappler+ for exclusive content and unlimited access. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. 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. Thepopulationhas fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as residents fled for other cities. 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. Updated: 11:07 PM EST February 25, 2022. Many analysts view the relaxation of mask mandates as the next logical step. Indoor venues, such as casinos, can set requirements at their discretion. 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. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. She also noted that people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to it should continue to mask, regardless of what risk-level their community has. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. Terms & Conditions. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. As the COVID-19 situation improved, the Thai government lifted its mask mandate in 2022 and allowed bars and other night venues to operate for longer hours. Most previous work focused on mask mandates; we study the effect of mask wearing directly. Masks were still required on public transportation and in health care facilities, but not in restaurants, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and other public places. 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. But as the pandemic situation continued to get better, the US government announced in 2022 that wearing face masks will no longer be mandatory. 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. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. Hong Kong will stop requiring masks to be worn in public places from Wednesday, drawing to a close the prolonged Covid era that damaged its economy and standing in the world. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. 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. Masks are still worn in several countries in Asia. What are the CDC guidelines? The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as 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. Masks are just one protective measure for these airline passengers arriving in Shanghai from Paris. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. Switzerland removed its indoor mask mandate on February 17, 2022. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. 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. Macau, the nearby gambling hub, which like Hong Kong is a Chinese territory, ended its outdoor mask mandate on Monday. 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. 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. The states masking rule for businesses and workplaces expired on Feb. 11. We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. And because case counts remained high, the public health agency had stuck to its recommendation of indoor masking, including inside schools. 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. In Italy, face masks are no longer required in public places. It was only a year ago that some Americans were 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. 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. 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. Despite relaxing border rules late last year, Hong Kongs government had been reluctant to lift the mask mandate amidst calls from various medical professionals to keep the mandate in force for the foreseeable future. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas 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 With mask mandates going away, is that helpful. 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. It still poses an ongoing risk of international spread and requires coordinated international response so we are still in a public health emergency of international concern. 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