New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Passengers are required to wear medical surgical, KN95 or N95 masks from the time of check-in at the airport through the duration of the flight and until you leave the airport. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 3. 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. 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. According to reports, the country saw an exodus of 187,000 people in the last three years as residents escaped to safer pastures. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday. In 2022, there were 126,900 Filipinos who visited the country. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. 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. But even as mask mandates for public transportation are debated and sometimes dropped many global health experts support them. These interventions made travel safer and possible, especially for senior citizens during the pandemic, says Toole, who is age 75. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. Shares of companies linked to tourism gained. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. - 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 authorities see gloves as a deterrent to infection even though the value of gloves as a pandemic measure has been debated and basically debunked). As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. But those measures could not contain the spread of the more contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus as 2022 began. Accordingly, the CDC now says individuals at high-risk of COVID-19 complications should consider taking precautions, such as avoiding crowds and wearing a high-quality mask. A mask can be the cheapest, simplest tool to protect you from infections in these situations.". Hong Kong had dropped most other pandemic restrictions by earlier this year. We didnt see that major difference with transmissions. 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. Hong Kong to scrap almost all its Covid rules, Hong Kong shortens Covid hotel quarantine, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. In the end, the government gave little more than a days notice that the mandate would be scrapped seemingly in response to a similar policy shift from the autonomous region of Macau which is also able to set various policies independently of Beijing. BY Tristan Bove. Sign up here. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The rule was first enforced on July 29, 2020, and directed individuals to wear masks in all public places. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies. And because case counts remained high, the public health agency had stuck to its recommendation of indoor masking, including inside schools. The Hang Seng Tech index There will no longer be a need to wear a mask on Cathay Pacific flights or in its airport lounges. But for local health officials and school boards, the CDC suggests a community consider three factors: new COVID-19 hospitalizations; hospital capacity; and new COVID-19 cases. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. They still use shields and gloves. All rights reserved. What's he waiting for? 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. In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.". 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. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. 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. Researchers found city-level vaccine mandates to have, at most, a negligible effect on France French residents and citizens do not have 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 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. By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Most of these curbs were rolled back at the end of last year. In 2019, half a million Filipino tourists visited the country. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. April 20, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC. Heres where. Rappler.com. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. April 20, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC. This year and the next year, we will focus on the economy and development.. 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. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. CDC has previously recommended wearing a high-quality mask, such as a tight-fitting N95 version and avoiding areas with low vaccination levels. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for 945 days, people could be fined up to HK$5,000 (530; $640). South Korea has mandated mask-wearing in both indoor and outdoor public locations since the beginning of the pandemic. 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. 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.". Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. 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. Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. That compares with 77% for Singapore. 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. Taiwan announced in February that it has lifted the indoor mask mandate and has eased other restrictions. The rule is enforceable byfinesof up to HK$10,000 ($1,275), with police regularly handing out HK$5,000 penalties on the spot for transgressors. 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. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? 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. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. 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. 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. 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. This is an indication that Filipinos have found value in wearing a mask and would really want to protect themselves and their families, Vergeire said. The controls, which changed frequently and with little warning, came at a heavy cost to residents and contributed to an exodus from the city. 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. El Salvador no longer requires masks in public spaces. Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. 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. Under the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for 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. 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