British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have removed their mask mandates for certain routes. Passengers travelling to and from South Africa will still be required to wear masks in-flight.
The removal of mandatory masks is in line with the UK dropping all travel restrictions, including passenger locator forms and Covid-19 testing.
Both airlines will continue to remove mask mandates, guided by country-specific regulations.
Given that South Africa has extended the national state of disaster to mid-April, Covid-19 protocols still apply and South African passengers will still be required to mask-up.
It is unclear if this will continue after the state of disaster ends. However, Health Minister Joe Phaahla has put forward a draft set of rules that indicates mandatory masks will outlive the state of disaster.
Under these rules, masks would remain mandatory in indoor public spaces, on public transport and to enter public premises.
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