Aussies Travelling To Europe Can Ditch Masks At Airports And On Flights

Covid Tracker: May 13


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Australians travelling in Europe will no longer be required to wear masks at airports or on planes.

The European Union has announced that from Monday a multi-country mask mandate for European airplanes and airports will be lifted, amid eased health restrictions across the continent.

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From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,” the union executive director Patrick Ky said in a news release.

“For passengers and aircrews, this is a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel.”

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) hopes the move cements "a big step forward in the normalisation of air travel".

EASA executive director Patrick Ky said passengers will still be required to act responsibly.

"A passenger who is coughing and sneezing should strongly consider wearing a face mask, for the reassurance of those seated nearby," Mr Ky said.

Airlines have been calling for a consistent approach to mask mandates are pleased with the changes.

"We believe that mask requirements on board aircraft should end when masks are no longer mandated in other parts of daily life, for example theatres, offices or on public transport," said Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association.

The move follows a similar step in the Untied States.

Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this:

Western Australia 

  • New cases: 15,565
  • Covid-related deaths: 3
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 279 / 12  

Northern Territory 

  • New cases: 319
  • Covid-related deaths: 1
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 16 / 4

Australian Capital Territory 

  • New cases: 1,217   
  • Covid-related deaths: 0
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 74 / 4 

Queensland 

  • New cases: 6,555
  • Covid-related deaths: 12
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 407 / 11

New South Wales 

  • New cases: 12,020
  • Covid-related deaths: 13
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,398 / 60

Victoria 

  • New cases: 13,181
  • Covid-related deaths: 18 
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 491 / 25

South Australia 

  • New cases: 4,616
  • Covid-related deaths: 3
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 229 / 10

Tasmania 

  • New cases: 1,118
  • Covid-related deaths: 2
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 39 / 1

New Zealand 

  • New cases: 7,441
  • Covid-related deaths: 29
  • Hospital and ICU admissions: 398 / 6
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Hit News Team

13 May 2022

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Hit News Team




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