Germany will soon drop a mask mandate on long-distance trains and buses, one of the country’s last remaining COVID-19 restrictions, the health minister said Friday. The mandate will be dropped on Feb. 2, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced in Berlin. FILE PHOTO:People wear face masks to protect themself against the coronavirus as they leave and get on board of a subway train in Berlin, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Other European countries already have scrapped mask mandates in public transport, and Lauterbach faced increasing pressure to follow suit in recent weeks. Masks remain mandatory in doctors’ practices, while masks and negative tests are still required to enter hospitals and nursing homes. Rules for local transportation are a matter for Germany’s 16 state gov...
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed new guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) removing its recommendation that masks should be required in-flight. EASA’s updated Aviation Health Safety Protocol, published 11 May, calls for the mandatory mask rule to be relaxed where rules have been relaxed for other transport modes. This important shift reflects the high levels of vaccination, natural immunity levels, and the removal of domestic restrictions in many European nations. The updated guidance also acknowledges the need to move from an emergency situation to a more sustainable mode of managing COVID-19. "From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements o...
Read MoreThe Biden administration will no longer enforce a U.S. mask mandate on public transportation, after a federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that the 14-month-old directive was unlawful, overturning a key White House effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Soon after the announcement, all major carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as national train line Amtrak relaxed the restrictions effective immediately. Last week, U.S. health officials had extended the mandate to May 3 requiring travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, and in taxis, ride-share vehicles or transit hubs, saying they needed time to assess the impact of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases caused by the airborne coronavirus. Masked and unmasked travelers line up at...
Read MoreCarnival Cruise Line plans to make masks optional for its guests from March 1 after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased its warnings for cruise ships, the company said in a statement late on Friday. The company said masks would be recommended but not required. “There may, however, be certain venues and events where masks will be required,” Carnival said in the statement. FILE PHOTO: View of "Carnival Panorama" cruise ship as it is docked at Melano beach after passengers have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico December 29, 2021. REUTERS/Monserrat Zavala Carnival also said it plans to be offer more flexibility in pre-cruise testing requirements. The cruise line, operated by Carnival Corp, said children unde...
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