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. ", What Countries Require Masks in Public or Recommend Masks? Which other countries have lifted the mask mandate? China has a zero-COVID policy. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. DeSantis won't say he's running. 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. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. All rights reserved. Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. 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. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. 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 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. Hawaii An indoor mask mandate, the final statewide 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. Emirates Wants to Massively Expand its Operations in India By Adding 50,000 Seats Per Week. Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. 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. 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 Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. 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.". 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. South Korea ended its indoor mask rule on January 30, 2023, but still recommends wearing masks, including in public transportation. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Hong Kong is ending its mask mandate Wednesday, becoming one of the world's last cities to drop rules demanding face coverings. Vietnam made face masks compulsory for people to wear in public on March 16. Under Cap 599I Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation, the government legislation that covers the mandate, residents have been 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. There are no comments yet. Although there is no legal mask mandate covering the entire country of Japan, there are strong recommendations to wear a mask in public. 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 Masks will still be required in health care settings. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. Because the truth is worth it.). The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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. 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. 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. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. 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. "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.". 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. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. The following are the CDC guidelines in the USA for areas of: Wear if in contact with someone at high risk for severe illness, Masks required indoors and in public places. Thousands died, many of them seniors who had not been vaccinated. Masks are As of Wednesday, the city will no longer require people to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation. 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. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on Mall landlords Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. and New World Development Co. rose more than 1.4%. 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. Estonia has no mask rules at this time. For the most part, people have followed the government's recommendations, and many private businesses require masks for customers. 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. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Hong Kong's Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. China's airlines have become a bit less strict than in the early days of the pandemic when in-flight announcements would urge passengers not to chitchat during the flight. Rappler.com. WATCH |Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? 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. 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, The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. The airline is, however, aware that many Hong Kongers may feel nervous about being around unmasked passengers or crew members for long periods in these cases, the airline has asked nervous passengers not to fly until they feel comfortable around unmasked seatmates. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Your email address will not be published. Here is a list. 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. 3. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. The strongest predictor of how the places did were vaccination rates. In 2022, there were 126,900 Filipinos who visited the country. Under the new metrics, more than half of U.S. counties, which make up about three-fourths of where Americans live, are now considered to be at "low" or "medium" risk because of a reduced number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations and adequate hospital space. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. What are the CDC guidelines? In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. But even as mask mandates for public transportation are debated and sometimes dropped many global health experts support them. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. The city's gross domestic product fell by 3.5% last year. 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. The move comes as the government seeks to attract tourists and overseas workers to revitalize the finance hub. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for example. As the world continues to live and adapt to the pandemic, several countries, including the Philippines, have lifted the face mask requirement. Most of these curbs were rolled back at the end of last year. Now to We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. - 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 past three years of global isolation have weighed heavily on the citys economy and reputation. Heres where. Read about our approach to external linking. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas But Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that restrictions there would gradually lift with mask and remote work mandates easing early next month and "With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy," Mr Lee said on Tuesday. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. unlikely to reach the United States market anytime soon, will end its aggressive but contentious vaccine mandate. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. Evidence shows that the coronavirus is under control in Hong Kong, without major signs of rebound, Chief Executive John Lee said at a news briefing. However, the Malaysian government imposed key responses such as expanding its testing capacity for COVID-19. 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Denmark became the first European country to lift the mask mandate. Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. She reports on global health, science, and development, and her work has been published in the New York Times, The British Medical Journal, BBC, The Guardian and other outlets. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for Indoor locations and public transportation required a mask, and people could be fined for failing to follow the rules. Read about our approach to external linking. From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy, Lee said. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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