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. New York state's school masking mandate will be lifted Wednesday, Gov. As of April 2022, many of these restrictions have been lifted, with masks required only in stores and on public transport. After much criticism, the Hong Kong authorities in December last year decided to lift its contentious "amber code," which forced residents to use an app to enter any venue. Tourists along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2023. The controls, which changed frequently and with little warning, came at a heavy cost to residents and contributed to an exodus from the city. Although masks were not required in outdoor settings where social distancing was possible. Overall, Hong Kongs economy contracted by 6.1 percent in 2020; it rebounded in 2021, but shrank again in 2022. Japan has been one of the main travel destinations of Filipinos in the past years. 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 Many countries have also implemented mask mandates in fact, more than the number of countries that have imposed vaccine mandates. 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. As the country continued to curb the cases in 2022, Malaysia lifted the indoor mask mandate in most public areas. Vietnam logged more than 100,000 Filipino visitors prior to the pandemic. Photo/Matthew Busch/The New York Times / Various masks hang at a home in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. Wearing a mask both indoors and outside was mandated in Italy throughout much of the pandemic. Heres where. 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. Feb. 28, 2022, 12:34 PM PST / Updated April 21, 2022, 6:15 AM PDT. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 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. With the improvement of the COVID-19 situation, Indonesia has scrapped indoor mask mandates and removed all the remaining restrictions when entering buildings in 2022. Masks will no longer be needed outdoors, indoors or on public transport in Hong Kong Photograph:(Reuters). With more than 92% of its population of 67+ million people vaccinated, France chose to lift the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. Ky., Jan. 24, 2022. However, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing on Tuesday, February 8, that Filipinos are still willing to wear face masks despite the ease of 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. Actor Woody Harrelson held nothing back during a February interview with The New York Times where he blasted mandates and COVID-19 protocols. 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 addition to masks, passengers are asked to bring their own gloves as an optional additional precautionary measure. As the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain continues to decline, the country recently removed the mandate for wearing masks in outdoor settings. Add your comment to start the conversation. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. 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. Everyone can show their smiles and say, Hello, Hong Kong, he said, repeating the citys new tourism slogan. 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 was one of the world's last masking holdouts. 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. The mask mandate for domestic U.S. flights has been lifted although it might come back. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. "We think this is the best timing to make this decision. It, however, still recommends wearing face masks indoors, and in public transportation, including airplanes and trains. Then in February 2022, all states dropped mask mandates. At one stage, masks were required even when exercising. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. 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. Health Secretary Chung-mau Lo said the government would recommend that people who are immunocompromised or have upper respiratory issues continue to wear masks. Philadelphia: Masks are currently required at the Philadelphia International Airport and in many of the citys indoor spaces, like restaurants, museums, sporting areas 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. The only places where masks are still required include hospitals and public transit. Because the truth is worth it.). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 2023 BBC. Now, Berlin and Brandenburg are the first of Germany's 16 federal states considering a reintroduction of mandatory masks for indoor public spaces, at least in retail. A federal judge in 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. Cloth masks were deemed no longer acceptable, and people were required to wear medical-grade masks. Hector Retamal /AFP via Getty Images Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical virologist at the University of Hong Kong, noted that when the virus began spreading in the city in early 2020, its residents almost universally wore masks, even before they became mandatory. 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. 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. Next month will see Hong Kong host the biggest series of international events since often-violent protests in 2019shut downmuch of the city, including a music festival, Art Basel and the Rugby Sevens tournament. There are other precautionary measures for air travelers in China. The same thing has happened in some countries in Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas In late January, South Korea rolled back face covering requirements for most indoor places. "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. Gross domestic product shrank 3.5% in 2022, contracting for the third time in four years. "People who wear a high-quality mask are well-protected, even if others around you are not masking," Massetti said. Checking with any international carrier before heading to the airport is still critical, says Wu. Most states either don't have a statewide mask mandate in place or have announced plans to drop their mandates soon. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. 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.. A requirement to wear masks outdoors in public spaces was lifted in February 2022, and the government is expected to lift most or all remaining mask requirements and other COVID-related restrictions by mid-June 2022. The new metrics will place the majority of the country in low to medium COVID-19 risk. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. "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.". 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. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake, What we've learned from Alex Murdaugh murder trial. 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