European Union Drops Mask Mandate for Flights

European Union drops mask mandate for flights and airports - by Jake Epstein, INSIDER

• • The EU is dropping its mask mandate on flights and in airports beginning Monday (May 16, 2022)
• •The bloc said it made the decision based on the lifting of restrictions and high vaccination rates.
• •Since peaking in late January, COVID-19 cases across the continent have declined. 

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  Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport in Germany on March 15, 2022. 

  Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images

• Read the full article by ISIDER  🠊 H E R E 🠈

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Finally -- USA's Last State Mask Mandate Has Ended!

Welcome to the Monday, March 28 Brew.

The country's last statewide mask mandate has ended

By: Samuel Wonacott Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Final statewide mask requirement ended in Hawaii March 26 Don’t forget to vote in America’s Next Top Pet Tournament! An update on party committee fundraising The country’s last statewide mask mandate has ended On Saturday, March 26, the last statewide mask requirement in the country came to an end when Hawaii lifted its masking rules. This marks the first time since April 8, 2020 – a period of 720 days – in which no state has had a mask mandate in place. Gov. David Ige (D) announced on March 8 that he would end the requirement.  New Jersey was the first to enact a statewide mask mandate. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) issued the order for that requirement on April 8, 2020.  Counting Hawaii, Democratic governors in 11 states have ended statewide mask requirements since February. The last state with a Republican governor to end its mask mandate was West Virginia, which did so in June 2021.   Since the pandemic started: 39 states implemented statewide mask requirements at some point. Masking reached its widest extent in December 2020, when 38 states had mask requirements. Of those 38 states, 24 had a Democratic governor, while 14 had a Republican one. Five states with Democratic governors who allowed a statewide order to expire later reinstated the order.  One state (New York) had its mask requirement overturned by a court. A higher court reinstated the requirement later that day.  Thirty-six states ended mask requirements through executive order, two (Kansas and Utah) ended mask requirements through legislative action. A court order ended Wisconsin’s mask mandate. The chart below shows the total number of days each state had a mask requirement in place since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are a handful of other tidbits from our coverage: Mississippi had the shortest mask requirement, lasting 56 days.  The shortest statewide mask requirement in a state with a Democratic governor was in Wisconsin, which lasted 242 days. The longest statewide mask requirement was in Hawaii, which lasted 704 days. The longest statewide mask requirement in a state with a Republican governor was in Maryland, which lasted 393 days. BallotPedia: End of Mask Mandates **

Announcement: No More Face Mask or Face Shield Required, Hoorah!!!

Dear Costco Member,

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently announced new guidance regarding COVID-19 and vaccines. Among other things, the CDC now says that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask in most settings, except where required by state and local laws. People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

Based on this new guidance regarding vaccine effectiveness, beginning May 14, 2021, we are modifying our policy regarding face coverings in some U.S. Costco locations.

U.S. locations with no state or local mask requirements - revised policy
In Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, we will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield. We will not require proof of vaccination, but we ask for members’ responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy. Face coverings will still be required in healthcare settings, including Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid. Costco continues to recommend that all members and guests, especially those who are at higher risk, wear a mask or shield.

U.S. locations with state or local mask requirements - no policy change
In those Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does have a mask mandate, we will follow the state or local regulations and continue to require members and guests to wear a face mask or face shield. Children under the age of 2 are exempt. If a member or guest has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, they must wear a face shield.

As before, our goal is to continue to provide a safe shopping environment for our members and guests and to provide a safe work environment for our employees, while following public health advice and applicable laws.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.

Craig Jelinek
President and CEO
Costco Wholesale

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