mmogdan

https://www.portugalresident.com/por...ic-transports/Portugal’s Minister of Health announced on Thursday the decision to drop mask-wearing on public transports, including planes, buses, taxis and TVDE vehicles, as well as pharmacies.

The measure has been approved by the Council of Ministers but will only come into effect once it has been promulgated by President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. It will then have to be published in the state gazette Diário da República.

According to Temido, the decision to drop the requirement to wear masks or face shields is based on the country’s stable Covid-19 epidemiological situation and the lack of pressure on health services – at least from Covid-19 patients.

Mask-wearing will remain mandatory, however, at health establishments (such as hospitals and health centres) and nursing homes.

Despite the decision to drop mask-wearing on public transports, the minister stresses that citizens should continue to make their own “assessments of the risks” and “protect themselves” if they feel the need to.

BA235

I flew out to Spain last week on BA. There was no mention of masks being required at the gate but on boarding the crew were handing them out and insisting that they be worn. Thankfully I was in Club and the CSD was extremely generous with the drinks which meant that to all intents and purposes masks were only on from boarding until cruise and again during landing (and even then the CSD was handing out plastic glasses to those who’d requested one last drink for the runway…)

Flying back this week I was on an ‘operated by Iberia for BA’ service and the mask requirement was announced at the gate and during boarding and everyone that I could see was wearing one. This time I was in ET. I eeked out the bottle of water and bag of crisps for as long as I could but most fellow passengers that I could observe never bothered to put the mask back on afterwards so neither did I.

What struck me was how unused I had become to wearing one again and I found it took some getting used to. I can’t wait for all this nonsense to stop!

Robert279

Autonomous Madeira, where the requirement was removed some weeks back, continues to confuse BA. Last week mask wearing was enforced (' as a Portuguese government requirement') although many on board failed to comply.
On arrival, the airport was almost entirely mask free, including those arriving on a maskless Ryanair flight from Stanstead.

SonTech

I always wonder BA still says you need to wear a mask going to Spain as Jet2 don't require it and they fly many many more flights to Spain than BA and never had a problem....

KARFA

It is still required in Spain. BA are perhaps trying to follow the rules, other airline may be less bothered.

https://travelsafe.spain.info/en/during/

mmogdan

Same in LIS. It’s okay to be in a packed line at immigration not masked, but the moment you step on a plane they expect you to wear a mask.

Pleased they’ve finally dropped it. Let’s hope it stays this way during the winter.

BarelyBAGold

Flew to Faro last week with BA (Finnair operated) and required to wear a mask while flying back from Lisbon this week no mask required by BA staff (staff had overnighted at Lisbon and wonder whether the mask issue wasn't included in their pre-flight briefing. Has the policy changed recently re Portugal requiring masks on public transport? I have found total inconsistency re mask wearing. Last moth flew with BA to Malaga from City and crew insisted on masks while friends took exactly the same flight two days prior and no masks required........We returned from Malaga with Ryanair and no masks required by them on that route.

bluemoon68

Pleasantly surprised that Kenya isn’t on the list, given that local government websites suggest masks are compulsory in and out of the airport.

can now confirm that no masks required for Kenya and not enforced at the airport.

AirbusA350

There has been no change in BA policy, nor Portuguese government policy (yet) for Portugal. The inconsistency is not down to BA's policy, BA's policies are clear on BA's website as well as within crew's briefings for each destination, it is just the crew on the day who at times have been making their own decisions contrary to policy.

Portugal has announced that masks will be dropped on public transport, including planes, however, it is awaiting sign-off from their president before it becomes official. I suspect a few days after that, BA will update their policies.

Additionally, I expect BA to remove the need for masks ex-LHR to SIN shortly after 29th August which is the date from which Singapore have dropped masks on planes and in general public settings indoors in their country.

BarelyBAGold

Thanks for clarifying AirbusA350 🙏

AirbusA350

Quite a few changes, no masks required to/from Algeria, Bahamas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia. Portugal and Singapore should be added to that list sometime within the next week or two also. This would only leave just Spain and Germany as the two sole European destinations requiring masks, both ways that too, at least officially, as per BA policy (which of course is shaped on their interpretation of legal requirements/obligations BA feel they have to adhere to).

Pilot37

TAP have confirmed no masks required on their flights from yesterday (27th) so BA should follow pretty quickly (fingers crossed!)

Pilot37

chriswiles

I flew to Ibiza again - yes fourth time this year - last week and it was certainly interesting. On the flight out, BA announced 3 times a mask was mandatory for the flight out to Spain, only for 50% of the plane to ignore it (including me) and nothing fully enforced.

On the way back, Ibiza airport was an*l about people wearing a mask to board and actually stopped people boarding without one. Made people go buy one, which then delayed the flight as those people were late boarding. More bizarre, as soon as we got into the bus to take us to the plane, everyone took theirs off and it remained off. So all they enforced was wearing to board. What's the point in that if everyone removes it 2 minutes later!

chriswiles

Not only is Germany the last remaining, but I'm sure everyone has seen they are changing the policy from 1 October where you must wear a FFP2 for all flights and public transport: COVID: German cabinet signs off on rules for autumn and winter | News | DW | 24.08.2022

I emailed a few German colleagues, as I'm there on 16 October, saying this is ridiculous and each one replied "it's fine! we're used to it, it keeps us all safe!" and were shocked why I'd question FFP2 mask wearing. I was shocked they were shocked. Tempted to cancel the trip.

AirbusA350

Update - No masks required on BA operated services to/from Brazil, Portugal, Singapore and Saudi Arabia