Masks will still be required in health care settings. The majority of the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk. In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. 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. We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six "With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy," Mr Lee said on Tuesday. 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. ", 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. 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. Walensky said that a review of that requirement is ongoing and a decision will be made in the weeks ahead. Authorities claiming that the virus is no longer considered a 'critical threat'. 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. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. France only requires masks in health care facilities. 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. The severe covid restrictions had a negative effect on Hong Kong's economy. 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. The virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said. Singapore has been lauded as highly effective in its management of containing COVID-19 with a very low number of cases from the virus. 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The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. 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 must be worn at indoor places and public transport, where a vaccination pass is not needed. Additionally, Hong Kong's population shrunk dramatically during the Covid period. Learn how your comment data is processed. Here is a list. The updated guidance comes after weeks of pressure from governors and state officials who asked for a clear roadmap at the national level. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. The U.S. isn't the only country to have dropped mask requirements. South Korea ended its indoor mask rule on January 30, 2023, but still recommends wearing masks, including in public transportation. Instead of heavily relying on the number of COVID-19 cases to gauge mask effectiveness, the CDC is assessing local hospital capacity and rate of hospitalisation to formulate key measures in the USA. (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). Your body temperature is measured when you enter an airport and again before boarding the plane. 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.. The Hang Seng index fell 0.69% as Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced to drop its mask mandate starting March 1. By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. 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. The rule was first enforced on July 29, 2020, and directed individuals to wear masks in all public places. Shares of companies linked to tourism gained. 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. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance journalist based in Madurai, Southern India. But like Mr. Lee, he said the end of the mandate signified a return to normalcy. France With more than 92% of its population of 67+ million people vaccinated, France chose to lift the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions in This year and the next year, we will focus on the economy and development.. However, after China dropped several of its stringent policies in December 2022 and Hong Kong followed suit, it led to a surge of cases not seen since March 2022, according to Our World in Data, which uses data from Johns Hopkins University. 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By Sarah Jacoby. Before the pandemic, almost 500,000 Filipino travelers visited Thailand. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. 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. The states masking rule for businesses and workplaces expired on Feb. 11. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. 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. 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 Accordingly, the CDC would no longer recommend that these communities insist on indoor masking. According to Tourism Malaysia, 396,000 Filipino tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in 2018. Many residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions. On Tuesday, Hong Kong recorded just 96 COVID-19 cases, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. 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. However, masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. Almost 70 percent of the population in the USA are in areas of low or medium risk. Most states either don't have a statewide mask mandate in place or have announced plans to drop their mandates soon. 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. 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. 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. Indonesia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that was greatly affected by the pandemic and had experienced surges of cases since 2020. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. 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. The past three years of global isolation have weighed heavily on the citys economy and reputation. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. People wear face masks in the MTR station, a day before government gets rid of the mask rule in Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2023. Hong Kongs mask mandate has been in effect since July 2020. "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.". Heres where. Miss a day, miss a lot. Read more:Hong Kong announces further easing of COVID-19 curbs. LATAM airline, based in Santiago, Chile, has a lengthy mask dissertation: "No passenger may board the aircraft without a mask, or without its proper use. Several other countries and territories in Asia have been rolling back COVID-19 restrictions as leaders look to shift to an endemic phase. Indoor locations and public transportation required a mask, and people could be fined for failing to follow the rules. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. As the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain continues to decline, the country recently removed the mandate for wearing masks in outdoor settings. Denmark People in Denmark can be exempted from wearing face masks everywhere, except public transports. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. 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. Finland is entirely free of mask-related rules. Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. 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. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Hong Kong is one of the last cities globally to still have a mask mandate. 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. Japan has been one of the main travel destinations of Filipinos in the past years. Hawaii An indoor mask mandate, the final statewide The population has fallen by a net 187,000 in the three years through 2022 as 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. The move will come into effect from March 1 and suggests that the administration is looking to restore some semblance of normalcy. According to the Brazilian report, the governor of Sao Paulo city, Joao Doria tweeted, "Finally without masks. 2023 BBC. The strongest predictor of how the places did were vaccination rates. "With the masking requirement removed, we are starting to resume to normalcy comprehensively and that will be very beneficial to the economic development, our international competitiveness, as well as our activities which involve everyone in Hong Kong," Lee said. Which other countries have lifted the mask mandate? A young woman wears a KN95 mask in downtown Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, 2022. (At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Of low or medium risk journalist based in Madurai, Southern India airport and again before boarding plane. Rebound, the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk end to one of the population in the weeks.. Past years back during a February interview with the New York Times where he blasted and. 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