西方國家陸續放松管控，在奧密克戎面前躺平
Tristan bove
2022-02-19
西方世界開始考慮與病毒共存而不是徹底消滅，所以各國政府開始減少或取消對新冠的限制。
過去兩年里，人們對新冠這種致命病毒十分恐懼，主動調整生活方式，行為也大為變化。
但如今，奧密克戎變異株在全球迅速傳播，人們對新冠病毒已十分疲勞。盡管死亡率仍然很高，一些政府開始放松疫情期間的各種管控措施。
美國
跟當初實施管控的過程一樣，美國各州和城市撤銷管控的進度各不相同。
上周三，紐約州州長凱西·霍楚爾宣布取消嚴格的室內強制佩戴口罩令，引發一陣轟動。此前，康涅狄格州、新澤西州、特拉華州、俄勒岡州、加利福尼亞州、伊利諾伊州、羅德島和馬薩諸塞州等民主黨領導的州也宣布了類似要求。上述州均宣布，最遲3月將取消某些公共場所（包括學校）室內佩戴口罩的要求。
并非各地都十分支持，在伊利諾伊州和俄勒岡州，就有家長和學生團體抗議取消學校內佩戴口罩的決定。
至于共和黨領導的州，如阿拉巴馬州、阿拉斯加州和阿肯色州，去年口罩佩戴強制令到期后就未再提。
其他州則直接禁止以任何方式強制佩戴口罩。去年9月，肯塔基州共和黨議員在全州取消佩戴口罩要求，之后徹底取消了口罩令。愛達荷州另一項永久禁止強制戴口罩的法案即將提交州議員批準。
夏威夷等地仍然規定各處強制戴口罩。最近華盛頓州宣布2月18日將取消室外強制戴口罩，但未說明何時室內也不用強制戴口罩。
在加利福尼亞州，人們進入醫院或養老院不再需要新冠檢測陰性報告。加州稱，下周將宣布更多解除新冠管控的措施。
歐洲
在大西洋彼岸，幾周前歐洲國家就已開始取消疫苗限制，因為歐洲疫情最嚴重的時期已經過去。
2月初丹麥成為第一個完全取消限制的國家。當時，丹麥遭遇一大波新冠感染，但死亡人數和住院人數相對較少。
丹麥宣布取消限制后，歐洲大陸緊隨其后推出類似政策。英國、瑞典、挪威、西班牙和意大利紛紛效仿丹麥，宣布2月底前取消強制佩戴口罩和長時間隔離政策。
捷克已放寬規定，不再要求公民進入酒吧、餐館、理發店和運動場所時出示疫苗接種證明。2月14日之后，愛沙尼亞不再要求人們參與戶外活動時出示疫苗卡。
法國宣布，2月底之前大部分公共場所將取消室內強制佩戴口罩規定。西班牙衛生官員表示，將為今年晚些時候推出的“新冠監測新系統”開發試點項目，該系統可根據大量人群樣本判斷而不用大規模檢測，從中反映疫情傳播狀況。西班牙官員認為，疫情現階段統計新冠病例數已不重要，住院率數據才更值得關注。
歐洲一些國家也放寬了旅行要求。2月1日歐盟建議各國對持有“綠色通行證”的入境旅客取消隔離期，因為通行證可證明旅客已完全接種疫苗，新冠已痊愈或最近檢測呈陰性。
2月初，希臘和葡萄牙都取消了對已接種疫苗入境者的檢測要求。2月2日之后，荷蘭宣布已接種加強針的旅客不必隔離。
大洋洲
在大洋洲，澳大利亞和新西蘭都在2月初表示，隨著限制措施撤銷和邊境管制放松，新冠清零政策很大程度上將取消。
2月底，澳大利亞將開始允許外國游客進入，新西蘭則宣布未來幾個月內分階段重新對國際游客開放。
亞洲
雖然西方世界疫情時代的大多數預防措施逐步解除，亞洲一些國家仍在嚴格遵守新冠清零政策。
中國為防止國內新冠疫情爆發，繼續實施嚴格的防控措施，包括嚴格的邊境限制、大規模檢測、詳盡的密接流調，還有突然封城措施，2022年中國已有2000多萬人根據嚴格的防控措施居家篩查。目前北京冬奧會正在舉行，接待了近3000名運動員。
過去兩年大部分時間里，中國香港實施了同樣嚴格的邊境管控和防感染措施。然而與內地不一樣，香港奧密克戎感染病例創下紀錄，每三天增加一倍，這就引發了問題：香港經過考驗的防控措施能否維持。
專家表示擔心，由于人們對新冠免疫力天然很低，再加上未接種疫苗的高齡老人眾多，香港之類地方比以前更脆弱。
但新加坡、泰國、印度尼西亞、菲律賓和馬來西亞等東南亞城市和國家為了提振困境中掙扎的旅游業，對已接種疫苗的游客或來自某些國家的人均已大幅放寬入境要求。（財富中文網）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
西方世界開始考慮與病毒共存而不是徹底消滅，所以各國政府開始減少或取消對新冠的限制。
過去兩年里，人們對新冠這種致命病毒十分恐懼，主動調整生活方式，行為也大為變化。
但如今，奧密克戎變異株在全球迅速傳播，人們對新冠病毒已十分疲勞。盡管死亡率仍然很高，一些政府開始放松疫情期間的各種管控措施。
美國
跟當初實施管控的過程一樣，美國各州和城市撤銷管控的進度各不相同。
上周三，紐約州州長凱西·霍楚爾宣布取消嚴格的室內強制佩戴口罩令，引發一陣轟動。此前，康涅狄格州、新澤西州、特拉華州、俄勒岡州、加利福尼亞州、伊利諾伊州、羅德島和馬薩諸塞州等民主黨領導的州也宣布了類似要求。上述州均宣布，最遲3月將取消某些公共場所（包括學校）室內佩戴口罩的要求。
并非各地都十分支持，在伊利諾伊州和俄勒岡州，就有家長和學生團體抗議取消學校內佩戴口罩的決定。
至于共和黨領導的州，如阿拉巴馬州、阿拉斯加州和阿肯色州，去年口罩佩戴強制令到期后就未再提。
其他州則直接禁止以任何方式強制佩戴口罩。去年9月，肯塔基州共和黨議員在全州取消佩戴口罩要求，之后徹底取消了口罩令。愛達荷州另一項永久禁止強制戴口罩的法案即將提交州議員批準。
夏威夷等地仍然規定各處強制戴口罩。最近華盛頓州宣布2月18日將取消室外強制戴口罩，但未說明何時室內也不用強制戴口罩。
在加利福尼亞州，人們進入醫院或養老院不再需要新冠檢測陰性報告。加州稱，下周將宣布更多解除新冠管控的措施。
歐洲
在大西洋彼岸，幾周前歐洲國家就已開始取消疫苗限制，因為歐洲疫情最嚴重的時期已經過去。
2月初丹麥成為第一個完全取消限制的國家。當時，丹麥遭遇一大波新冠感染，但死亡人數和住院人數相對較少。
丹麥宣布取消限制后，歐洲大陸緊隨其后推出類似政策。英國、瑞典、挪威、西班牙和意大利紛紛效仿丹麥，宣布2月底前取消強制佩戴口罩和長時間隔離政策。
捷克已放寬規定，不再要求公民進入酒吧、餐館、理發店和運動場所時出示疫苗接種證明。2月14日之后，愛沙尼亞不再要求人們參與戶外活動時出示疫苗卡。
法國宣布，2月底之前大部分公共場所將取消室內強制佩戴口罩規定。西班牙衛生官員表示，將為今年晚些時候推出的“新冠監測新系統”開發試點項目，該系統可根據大量人群樣本判斷而不用大規模檢測，從中反映疫情傳播狀況。西班牙官員認為，疫情現階段統計新冠病例數已不重要，住院率數據才更值得關注。
歐洲一些國家也放寬了旅行要求。2月1日歐盟建議各國對持有“綠色通行證”的入境旅客取消隔離期，因為通行證可證明旅客已完全接種疫苗，新冠已痊愈或最近檢測呈陰性。
2月初，希臘和葡萄牙都取消了對已接種疫苗入境者的檢測要求。2月2日之后，荷蘭宣布已接種加強針的旅客不必隔離。
大洋洲
在大洋洲，澳大利亞和新西蘭都在2月初表示，隨著限制措施撤銷和邊境管制放松，新冠清零政策很大程度上將取消。
2月底，澳大利亞將開始允許外國游客進入，新西蘭則宣布未來幾個月內分階段重新對國際游客開放。
亞洲
雖然西方世界疫情時代的大多數預防措施逐步解除，亞洲一些國家仍在嚴格遵守新冠清零政策。
中國為防止國內新冠疫情爆發，繼續實施嚴格的防控措施，包括嚴格的邊境限制、大規模檢測、詳盡的密接流調，還有突然封城措施，2022年中國已有2000多萬人根據嚴格的防控措施居家篩查。目前北京冬奧會正在舉行，接待了近3000名運動員。
過去兩年大部分時間里，中國香港實施了同樣嚴格的邊境管控和防感染措施。然而與內地不一樣，香港奧密克戎感染病例創下紀錄，每三天增加一倍，這就引發了問題：香港經過考驗的防控措施能否維持。
專家表示擔心，由于人們對新冠免疫力天然很低，再加上未接種疫苗的高齡老人眾多，香港之類地方比以前更脆弱。
但新加坡、泰國、印度尼西亞、菲律賓和馬來西亞等東南亞城市和國家為了提振困境中掙扎的旅游業，對已接種疫苗的游客或來自某些國家的人均已大幅放寬入境要求。（財富中文網）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
Governments worldwide are starting to reduce or eliminate COVID restrictions, as much of the western world begins to consider living with the virus rather than eradicating it.
For the past two years, fears of a deadly virus pushed many to willingly adopt different lifestyles and drastically adjust our behavior.
But now, after the Omicron variant’s fast and furious spread through the world, people are experiencing COVID fatigue. Although death rates remain high, some governments are beginning to loosen pandemic-era restrictions.
United States
The process to roll back restrictions in the U.S. has been different among states and cities, just like the process of instituting those restrictions in the first place.
New York state made waves on Wednesday when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced it would drop its strict indoor mask mandate, following in the footsteps of similar announcements on masking requirements from Democratic-led states including Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Oregon, California, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. All these states have announced they would be lifting indoor mask mandates in certain public spaces including schools no later than March.
The decision has not gone over particularly well everywhere, with parent and student groups protesting the decision to remove school mask mandates in Illinois and Oregon.
Many Republican-led states, such as Alabama, Alaska, and Arkansas, saw mask mandates expire last year without renewing them.
And other states have banned any kind of mask mandate outright. In Kentucky, mask mandates were dropped last September after Republican lawmakers banned statewide masking requirements. Another bill in Idaho to permanently ban mask mandates is heading to state legislators for approval soon.
Mask requirements in all spaces are still present in some states, such as Hawaii. Washington recently announced it would lift its outdoor mask mandate on Feb. 18, but gave no indication as to when the indoor requirement would be rolled back.
In California, people no longer need to show a negative COVID test to enter hospitals or nursing homes. The state has indicated that it will announce more COVID restriction rollbacks next week.
Europe
Across the Atlantic, European countries already started rolling back vaccine restrictions weeks ago, as the continent began moving past the emergency phase of the pandemic.
Denmark became the first country to fully roll back restrictions at the beginning of February. At the time, the country was in the midst of a big wave of new COVID-19 infections, but death and hospitalization numbers were relatively low.
The Scandinavian country’s actions turned out to be a harbinger for similar policies across the continent. England, Sweden, Norway, Spain, and Italy have all followed in Denmark’s footsteps and will scrap outdoor mask mandates, and long isolation periods after testing positive by the end of February.
The Czech Republic has already loosened rules that require citizens to show vaccination passes when accessing places like bars, restaurants, hairdressers, and sports venues. Estonia will also do away with requiring vaccine cards for people to access outdoors events after Feb. 14.
France will remove indoor mask mandates in most public spaces by the end of February, and Spanish health officials said they are developing a pilot program for a “new COVID-19 monitoring system” due to launch later this year that will mirror monitoring systems for the flu, extrapolating evidence from wide population samples rather than focusing on extensive testing. Spanish officials said they believe that counting individual COVID case numbers is not as important at this stage of the pandemic compared to hospitalization rates.
Several European countries have also loosened their travel requirements. The E.U. recommended on Feb. 1 that countries scrap isolation periods for incoming travelers who possess a “green pass,” a certification that they are either fully vaccinated, recovered from COVID, or have recently tested negative.
In the beginning of February, Greece and Portugal both removed testing requirements for vaccinated people entering the countries. The Netherlands also did away with quarantine periods for travelers who received a booster shot entering after Feb. 2.
Oceania
In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand have both indicated early in February that zero-COVID policies will largely be dropped, as restrictions are rolled back and border controls loosened.
Australia will begin allowing foreign tourists into the country by the end of February, while New Zealand has announced a phased reopening period over the coming months to international travelers.
Asia
But while the western world is doing away with most COVID-era precautions, several countries in Asia are sticking closely to zero-COVID rules.
China has continued to exercise stringent controls to clamp down any potential COVID outbreak in the country, including tight border restrictions, mass testing, exhaustive contact tracing, and sudden city-wide lockdowns, having already locked down more than 20 million people in 2022 under strict home orders. The country is currently hosting nearly 3,000 athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Hong Kong has enforced similarly strict border controls and virus restrictions for most of the past two years. Unlike China, however, the Omicron variant has fueled record-high caseloads in Hong Kong with infections now doubling every three days, calling into question whether or not the city can maintain its tried-and-tested COVID containment measures.
Experts have voiced concerns that low natural immunity to COVID and a high number of elderly people who are unvaccinated puts citizens in places like Hong Kong in a more vulnerable position than it had to be in.
But cities and countries in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, have greatly loosened their entry requirements to vaccinated travelers or people coming from specific countries, in a bid to boost the region’s floundering tourism industry.
