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Covid-19 Restrictions updates - World-wide

Sweden to lift most Covid-19 curbs on Feb 9..​

Sweden said it would lift most of its coronavirus restrictions on February 9 as the pandemic enters a “whole new phase” with the highly contagious but milder Omicron variant.

Among the domestic restrictions that will be lifted are the 11:00pm closing for bars and restaurants, and limits on crowd numbers.

Vaccine passes for indoor events will no longer be required, and face masks will no longer be recommended on public transport at peak times, AFP reports.

“The pandemic is not over, but we are entering a whole new phase,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told reporters...
 
Australia has announced the reopening of its borders to vaccinated tourists and other visa holders for the first time in almost two years.

"If you're double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

The reopening, on 21 February, will be welcome news for many sectors including international education.

Australia has had some of the world's strictest border controls throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

In March 2020, the government closed the borders. It barred most foreigners from entering the country and put caps on total arrivals to help combat Covid.

Some international students and skilled migrants have been permitted to enter the country since last December.

On Monday, Mr Morrison said those entering Australia when the borders fully reopened would need to provide proof of vaccination: "That's the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it," he said.

Unvaccinated travellers who have a medical reason for not being jabbed will still need to apply for a travel exemption and, if successful, will be required to quarantine at a hotel.

Melinda de Boer, 44, from Switzerland, told the BBC that she was finally planning to travel to Melbourne to see her mum, who had breast cancer last year.

"Her grandchildren haven't seen her for nearly three years. We are looking to go in the October or December holidays," she said.

Ms De Boer said she was reluctant to book at the moment and was "worried about the airlines and masses of people going".

Since the start of the pandemic, Australia has implemented strict measures to help fight the spread of Covid infections - even banning its own people from leaving the country last year.

Despite most of the country opening up, the state of Western Australia (WA) still has tight measures. It is currently closed to non-residents, including those from other Australian states, unless they have permission to enter.
 

UAE to lift gradually Covid-related restrictions: report.​


The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will gradually lift restrictions imposed to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the number of infections and hospitalisations has gone down, the state news agency WAM reported.

Venues will be allowed to function at maximum capacity by mid-February, it said, citing the National Emergency Crisis Management Authority.
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Paris bans Canada-style Covid 'freedom convoys'..​

Paris police said they would ban so-called “freedom convoys” inspired by a truckers' protest against coronavirus restrictions that has paralysed the Canadian capital Ottawa.

Convoys of vehicles from across France are expected to converge on the French capital on Friday, risking a possible standoff with the police similar to the violent “yellow vest” protests that rocked the country in 2018.

“There will be a special deployment [...] to prevent blockages of major roads, issue tickets and arrest those who infringe on this protest ban,” the Paris police force said in a statement....
 

France to drop mask indoors from February 28.​


French coronavirus rules will no longer require people to wear masks indoors from February 28, the health ministry said, citing an “improvement in the health situation”.

The rules apply to public spaces like bars and restaurants, sports and leisure activities which now require proof of vaccination to enter, AFP reports.

However, people in France will have to continue wearing masks on public transport even after this date.


This file photo taken on May 5, 2021 in Paris shows an illustration picture of used protective face masks. — AFP



This file photo taken on May 5, 2021 in Paris shows an illustration picture of used protective face masks. — AFP.
 

Norway to end most pandemic curbs..​


Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has said Norway will scrap nearly all its remaining Covid-19 lockdown measures as high levels of coronavirus infections are unlikely to jeopardise health services, Reuters reports.

"We are removing almost all coronavirus measures," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. "The coronavirus pandemic is no longer a major health threat to most of us. The Omicron virus causes far less serious illness and we are well protected by vaccines."

Norwegians will no longer need to stay at least one metre apart or wear face masks in crowded settings. The removal of these measures means nightclubs and other affected entertainment venues can resume full business.
 

Kuwait lifts many Covid-19 restrictions, allows travel abroad.​


Kuwait's cabinet has lifted many Covid-19 restrictions including a ban on foreign travel, a move that will also apply to those who are not vaccinated, Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah said.

The unvaccinated will still have to get a PCR test 72 hours before boarding a flight to the Gulf Arab state and quarantine for seven days after arrival, while those who are vaccinated would not be required to do so.

Some of the restrictions lifted from next week would include allowing the unvaccinated to enter shopping malls, as well as inside cinemas, theatres and banquet halls if they present a negative PCR test, Reuters reports...
 

Germany to end most Covid-19 curbs in March: draft govt plan.​


Germany will end most government restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic in March, according to a draft official plan seen by AFP, as new infections rates ease.

Two years after the start of the outbreak in Germany, curbs to prevent contagion will begin falling away.

As a first step, contact restrictions will ease allowing more to meet privately, while access to shops will be open to all without checks on whether the individuals are vaccinated or tested.

From March 4, access to restaurants will be open to unvaccinated people too if they show a negative test...
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Israel PM announces end of vaccine 'green pass'.​


Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has announced that the requirement to show proof of coronavirus vaccination to enter various sites will soon end, as the wave of infections wanes, reports AFP.

Israel had been a early trailblazer of a national vaccine rollout and among the first countries to demand a vaccination certificate, which it called the green pass, to enter a range of facilities.

Bennett said that with a clear decline in both the number of serious Covid-19 cases and the number of confirmed infections, it was a “good time” to scrap the vaccine proof requirement.

“We will stop using the green pass,” Bennett said...
 

Hong Kong postpones leader elections amid Covid-19 outbreak

Hong Kong will postpone elections for its next leader until May 8 as the city grapples with a worsening coronavirus outbreak with thousands of new infections daily, reports AP.

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said the elections would be moved six weeks from March 27, noting that holding the polls as originally scheduled would pose public health risks even if a committee of only 1,462 voters are involved.

Lam also said there were plans to test the entire city of Hong Kong for Covid-19, but denied that the city would be put under strict lockdown...
 

Israel to allow in all tourists regardless of vaccination status.​


Israel will begin allowing entry to all tourists, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, from March 1, a statement from the prime minister's office said.

Entry into Israel will still require two PCR tests, one before flying in and one upon landing in Israel, the statement said. Currently, only Covid-19 vaccinated foreigners are allowed into Israel, Reuters reports.

“We are seeing a consistent decline in morbidity numbers, so this is the time to gradually open up what we were the first in the world to close,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
 
Australia has reopened its international border for the first time in nearly two years,

This brings joyful family reunions and a boost to tourism.


The country imposed some of the world's strictest travel bans after shutting itself off in March 2020 due to Covid.

Australians and some others were allowed to return from late last year, but most foreigners have had to wait.

There were tearful reunions at Sydney Airport on Monday as hundreds of people began arriving on flights.

One young girl, Charlotte, shared an emotional hug with her grandfather. She told the local Nine Network: "I've missed him so much and I've looked forward to this trip for so long."

Double-jabbed visitors do not need to quarantine, but unvaccinated travellers must do so in a hotel for up to 14 days at their own expense.
 
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has abolished the requirement of pre-departure rapid PCR tests at airports for passengers travelling to Dubai and Sharjah from Pakistan and three other countries.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the CAA said passengers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka will still have to submit a valid negative PCR test certificate within 48 hours of departure.

A CAA spokesperson added that passengers will also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai and will self-quarantine until the results are released. “The 48-hour period will start from the time the sample is submitted to a laboratory."

It had been made mandatory for Pakistani travellers to get a negative rapid PCR test to enter Dubai since August last year.

It is pertinent to mention that UAE airlines Fly Dubai and Emirates also issued a press release confirming that a rapid PCR test conducted six hours prior to departure would no longer be required.

"They must be tested on arrival in Dubai, irrespective of their valid negative Covid-19 RT-PCR certificate from the point of origin," a travel update issued by the UAE stated. “Children under the age of 12 and passengers who have a moderate or severe disability are also exempt from taking a Covid-19 RT-PCR test.”
 

Italy will exit Covid state of emergency at end of March:​

The Italian government will end the Covid-19 state of emergency on March 31, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said, promising a gradual return to normal life after more than two years of the health crisis.

The state of emergency, which allows officials to intervene swiftly and bypass bureaucracy, was first introduced on Jan 31, 2020 and has been repeatedly renewed since then, Reuters reports.

“We will continue to closely monitor the pandemic situation, ready to intervene in case of an outbreak. But our goal is to reopen fully, as soon as possible,” Draghi said in a speech in the art city of Florence.
 
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Austria says it is putting its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on ice​

Austria is suspending its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, its ministers for health and constitutional affairs said on Wednesday, six days before fines for breaches were due to start being handed out.

The measure has been in effect since Feb. 5, but enforcement was only due to begin on March 15.

The decision to introduce it was announced in November, before the wider emergence of the highly contagious but less severe Omicron variant in Austria. The strain on intensive-care units has since eased.
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