Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. No spam, just a weekly roundup of the best aviation news that you don't want to miss. South Korea is also one of the major tourist destinations of Filipinos with 450,000 Filipino visitors in 2017. All rights reserved. A federal judge in At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. Hong Kong was one of last places on Earth to mandate mask-wearing. Dominican Republic has no rules for wearing a mask. 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. And so for that reason, we're recommending that schools use the same guidance that we are recommending in general community settings, which is that we're recommending people where a mask in high levels of COVID-19" risk, said Dr. Greta Massetti, a senior CDC official. By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. Hungary no longer requires masks anywhere. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. The removal of the mask mandate may help stimulate interest in Hong Kong, along with the ticket giveaway. 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Mexico removed all entry requirements, including the mandatory health form, on January 1, 2022. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. It, however, experienced a surge in April 2021. Rappler.com. Coronavirus FAQ: I'm a one-way masker. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. 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. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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. That compares with 77% for Singapore. 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. 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. "You must wear your mask at all times throughout the flight, except when eating or drinking," is Egyptair's position. "With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy," Mr Lee said on Tuesday. Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox. "After looking at all the data, the trends 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. 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There will no longer be a need to wear a mask on Cathay Pacific flights or in its airport lounges. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. 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Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. WATCH | Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? In case of refusal to use it before or during the flight, you will be reported as an unruly passenger to the respective authorities. What are the CDC guidelines? And because case counts remained high, the public health agency had stuck to its recommendation of indoor masking, including inside schools. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. Masks are Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. 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. 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. LinkedIn has officially entered its cringe era, and its working. Taiwan announced in February that it has lifted the indoor mask mandate and has eased other restrictions. Learn how your comment data is processed. Updated: 11:07 PM EST February 25, 2022. The strongest predictor of how the places did were vaccination rates. Malaysia experienced two waves of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but the political crisis doomed its COVID-19 response. However, Mexico still has various internal restrictionsincluding mandatory masks in most indoor spaces, social distancing rules, and self-isolation rules. The past three years of global isolation have weighed heavily on the citys economy and reputation. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. 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. So what does the global mask scene mean for American fliers? Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. What's he waiting for? The majority of the country would now be considered low-to-medium risk. Several other countries and territories in Asia have been rolling back COVID-19 restrictions as leaders look to shift to an endemic phase. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them. Mask mandates are still in effect in a small number of places. In 2019, the US was home to more than four million Filipinos. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. Based on that risk level, which could fluctuate, a community could opt to remove mask recommendations indoors or pull back on other mitigation measures, such as surveillance testing. Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd., which sells beauty products, climbed as much as 6.4%. Starting Wednesday, people in Hong Kong will no longer be required to wear masks indoors, outdoors or on public transportation, though facilities like hospitals and nursing homes can still require them, Mr. Lee said. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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. On the no-no list: Fabric or reusable masks on flights within Chile. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas It also got the highest ranking in COVID-19 resilience by Bloomberg. ", 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. 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. It's too premature," says Mike Toole, a founding member of Medicins sans Frontiers in Australia and an associate research fellow at Burnet Institute whose work revolves around infectious diseases and international health. Read about our approach to external linking. Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. Tourism numbers remain low. WATCH |Why Hong Kong residents are rushing to get Covid-19 vaccination? In 2022, the country lifted the mandatory face mask and relaxed rules of wearing it in public places. 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. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. Most states either don't have a statewide mask 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. Flight crews have been subject to even more demanding requirements than passengers in many places. 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. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day.It's free. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. In addition to masks, passengers are asked to bring their own gloves as an optional additional precautionary measure. MANILA, Philippines The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all countries worldwide to impose lockdown measures and travel restrictions to avoid spreading the virus. 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. 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