China Overseas Chinese Network, April 21 Question: Many anti-epidemic policies "lay flat", overseas Chinese still cannot take it lightly!
According to the latest data from the WHO website, as of 17:40 CET on the 19th (23:40 Beijing time), the number of confirmed cases worldwide increased by 404,271 from the previous day to 503,131,834; the number of deaths increased by 1,326 to reach 6,200,571 cases.
Recently, many countries and regions have updated their local epidemic prevention measures and regulations. Xiaoqiao has sorted them out for you:
The picture shows South Koreans gathering at a cafe in Mapo District, Seoul that night.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Xu
South Korea: Lifting social distancing measures
Since April 18, social distancing measures such as limited business hours for public gathering places in South Korea and restrictions on members of private gatherings, events and gatherings have been fully lifted, and South Koreans have returned to normal life after more than two years.
It is reported that units can organize large-scale dinners, and weddings, large-scale events and gatherings, and large-scale concerts will no longer be limited by the number of people.
Restaurants, cafes, entertainment facilities, karaoke rooms, bathing centers, and gyms can all be open until the early hours of the morning.
In addition, the measures for sitting at intervals in performance venues, cram schools, and study rooms have been cancelled.
The ban on eating and drinking in cinemas, places of worship, and transportation facilities will be lifted from the 25th.
Formal religious activities such as mass, puja, and worship once limited the number of people gathered to not more than 70% of the capacity of the corresponding venue, and this restriction has also been lifted.
However, the Korean government will still maintain the obligation to wear masks, and will study whether to cancel the obligation to wear masks outdoors within two weeks after the social distancing measures are lifted.
At the same time, South Korea plans to promote the fourth dose of the new crown vaccine for the elderly over 60 years old.
Cambodia: The epidemic has slowed down and the mask order has been lifted
With the easing of the new crown epidemic, many provinces in Cambodia are no longer compulsory to wear masks, including Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Preah Vihear provinces with low infection rates, Provinces with less population density.
However, the Cambodian Ministry of Health emphasized that residents of provinces that have lifted the "mask order" and out-of-towners traveling to these provinces should wear masks when attending gatherings or going to places with a large number of people.
If there are suspected symptoms, the public should be tested for the new coronavirus immediately, and the local government and the health bureau should also prepare enough rapid test kits for the new coronavirus.
Greece: Gradually relax epidemic prevention measures during summer tourism festival
Recently, the Greek government announced the epidemic prevention policy from 6:00 on April 18 to 6:00 on May 1, local time.
Specifically, Greek entertainment venues will only be open to the following people during this period: people who have received three doses of the new crown vaccine; people who have received two doses of the vaccine and have not been more than nine months old; contracted new crown in the past six months and recovered. people.
It should be reminded that people flow control has been carried out at the entrance of each entertainment venue, and staff and customers must wear masks while waiting in line.
If there is a band in the entertainment venue, the musicians must maintain a distance of at least one meter between them.
In restaurants, indoor spaces will only accommodate guests with valid Covid-19 certificates.
All people who have not been vaccinated or whose certificates have expired may dine in the outdoor open dining area, but must present a negative rapid or nucleic acid test report within 48 hours.
Minors between the ages of 4 and 17 only need to submit a negative self-test report.
Restaurants must sanitize menus and staff must still wear masks.
In addition, people will be able to freely enter all churches during Easter as long as they have valid vaccinations, certificates of illness, rapid tests or negative nucleic acid test reports.
Minors between the ages of 4 and 17 only need to submit a negative self-test report.
Scotland: Cancellation of masks eliminates antigen testing for asymptomatic people
From April 18, the Scottish region of the United Kingdom no longer requires people to wear masks on public transport and most indoor places.
In addition, people without symptoms of Covid-19 will no longer be required to undergo regular antigen testing.
Spain: Lifting decree forcing residents to wear masks in indoor public places
On April 19, local time, the Spanish government officially approved the decree at the cabinet council to lift the decree that forced residents to wear masks in indoor public places. The decree will come into effect on April 20.
From the 20th local time, Spanish people only need to wear masks compulsorily in designated places such as public transportation, health service places, nursing homes, pharmacies, etc., and other indoor public places will not be required to wear masks.
The Spanish Ministry of Health still recommends that designated groups in the country, such as the elderly over 60 years old and patients with immunosuppressed diseases, continue to wear masks in indoor public places.
The picture shows a woman wearing a mask shopping in a supermarket in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Mo Chengxiong
U.S.: Multiple public transportation companies announce cancellation of mask orders
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines announced on Monday, April 18, local time, that travelers do not need to wear masks to travel on domestic flights.
In addition, Amtrak also said that passengers and staff no longer need to wear masks when riding the company's passenger cars.
Earlier on Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down a nationwide mandate on masks on planes and other public transportation, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) overstepping its authority.
The CDC later issued a statement saying that, in light of the Florida court ruling, the nationwide order to wear masks on public transportation will expire on April 18.
However, the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
It is reported that due to the gradual increase in the number of new crown infections in New York City, the city's new crown risk level may rise from "low" to "moderate" within a week from the 18th to the 24th.
If the level is increased, the local government will consider reinstating the mandatory mask order in high-risk environments and places where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Due to the 50% surge in new crown cases in the past 10 days, Philadelphia announced that it will resume the indoor mask order from April 18, becoming the first major city in the United States to resume the requirement to wear masks indoors.
At present, the global epidemic is still running at a high level, and the high infectivity and concealment of the Omicron strain makes prevention and control more difficult.
However, many countries have chosen to gradually relax epidemic prevention measures, successively canceling strict control measures such as mask orders, isolating infected people, and tracking close contacts, and basically do not take other prevention and control measures except for strengthening vaccination.
In this regard, some experts have warned that humans still do not fully understand the new coronavirus and cannot predict how the virus will evolve.
It is Easter, Songkran Festival and other overseas festivals. Xiaoqiao here reminds everyone to continue to strengthen personal protection, adhere to "non-essential, non-emergency, and no travel" during the epidemic, try to avoid cross-border travel and travel to crowded places, and maintain a safe social distance .
(Source of the manuscript: WeChat official account of China Overseas Chinese Network; ID: qiaowangzhongguo; Source: Xinhua News Agency, China News Network, Jiemian News, China Net, The Paper, CCTV, Cailian News Agency, etc.; Author: Jin Xu)