As vaccination rates rises and COVID-19 recedes, Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS) is loosening its mask requirement on flights within Scandinavia.
SAS Drops Mask Requirements On Scandinavian Flights
Effective October 18, 2021, SAS will not longer require masks onboard its flights within or between:
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
For flights within Europe, masks will continue to be required…for now. SAS says it will follow the advice of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Walk though Sweden today and you would never know there is a worldwide pandemic going on. Extremely few people wear masks, even in public transport or other closely-confined area. Instead, Swedes can boast high vaccination rates and have chosen to treat COVID-19 as an endemic rather than a pandemic that requires continued restrictions on movement and commerce.
Throughout the pandemic, Swedes have taken a skeptical approach to masks, viewing them as a false sense of security rather than a viable additional layer of protection.
SAS credits its policy change “to the opening of societies and general recommendations from authorities in Scandinavia.”
Other Scandinavian Airlines, including Norwegian Air, will also drop mask requirements within Scandinavia.
Are You Ready To Fly Without A Mask?
I have a friend who just returned from a trip to Sweden and he could not get over how no ones wears a mask anymore, even in airports. Even while boarding your flight there is not a reminder to put your mask on.
Is this too much, too soon?
I’m of the opinion that proper masks (particularly N95 masks, not cloth ones) were an effective tool to slow the spread of virus. They still are. It’s also become clear that while greatly effective, vaccines are not foolproof and vaccinated people can spread the virus to others. That doesn’t make them any less necessary, in my opinion.
But I still blame the mask mandate for the surge in violence and misbehavior onboard airplanes in the USA and I’ve reached the point that I believe they should be optional…sooner or later we are going to have to return to mask-free flying and there’s no time like the present. I know I’m simplifying the issue, but if people want to refuse the vaccine and subject themselves to foolish risk, then let them. The small additional risk I incur as a vaccinated passenger being seated next to or around an unvaccinated one is a risk I am willing to bear.
CONCLUSION
SAS and other Scandinavian airlines will soon do away with the mask mandate on select flights. I think this is a logical move and I hope that the U.S. federal mask mandate, set to expire on January 18, 2022, will actually expire. But not because masks are bad…but because we are moving to the next phase.
You clearly haven’t been to flyover states recently or you’d know that you don’t have to travel to Sweden to experience mask-free endemic living. Was just in Utah and folks were giving me weird looks for wearing a mask. Indoors.
My standard has always been to be suspicious of anyone still wearing a mask where not required, such as a plane. They are either sick or anti-Vax so it’s best to avoid them. That’s why you got the looks.
While the Covid situation in Scandinavia may be more homogeneously improved now, that was not always the case.
Your description of Swedish policy early in the pandemic in no way reflected that of Denmark and Norway whose mitigation measures were quite the opposite.
Sweden was an early proponent of a modified herd immunity which didn’t really work and made them a pariah state in the EU, costing them many more lives than their Scandinavian neighbors.
Masks clearly didn’t change the course of c0vid one bit.
The data is absolutely clear on that.
You can do county by count case/death rates.
Or state by state.
Places that put in mask mandates, did no different than the ones next to them that did not.
Masks are a symbol, nothing more.
The people who wear them don’t understand science or data. Which makes sense when you think about it.
Agree. Just see what a lunatic member of the Squad said about her wearing a mask: “’I’m just wearing it because I’ve got a Republican tracker here’. Did you see Bill Gates’s daughter is getting married today and there is a $2mm wedding party going on in NY? Do you think they will be wearing masks? What a joke!!!!
Maybe look at the last wave. Florida, texas, and rest of the south got slammed, while the more mask wearing northern states fared much better.
Studies have also shown that long covid can reduce IQ buy an average of 7 points. That’s a problem for the anti vaxxers, anti maskers, and other covid deniers that already couldn’t spare any IQ points to begin with
Masks are for the virtue-signalers.
NBA Player Says COVID Vaccine Caused Blood Clots, But Team Officials Told Him to ‘Keep Quiet’
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/brandon-goodwin-nba-player-covid-vaccine-blood-clots/
Cool story bro. Hey how about you now post some of the 700,000+ stories of Americans who died before a vaccine was readily available. Or listened to chumps like Tucker C (or even nobodies like you), didn’t get the vaccine, and died.
Effing moron.
Ah UA-CCP. What would we do without you. But we will soon find out. When your blood clots are discovered or you have a random heart attack we will know why you disappeared.
Keep spreading that vaccine misinformation. Really productive use of your day. Thankfully you are a nobody chump who nobody cares about. Must be hard to be so pathetic.
~6 billion shots and counting and they are pretty fantastic.
I know at least ten people in extended family and friends who have a had a heart attack or other serious health issue since the vaccine. So it’s not misinformation. You’re entitled to your opinion and we all know that you’ll be resorting to personal attacks until you die. You’ve got nothing left and once the CDC/FDA/MSM admits the vaccines are not safe, what will you say then? We’ll find out soon enough. You’re on the wrong side of history. This movie is just getting started. Enjoy..
Yeah we are all about to grow a third eye and sprout horns and become impotent globally.
GTFOH
Every. single. rushed. injection. in. history. has. been. taken. off. the. market. Every. Single. One.
You’ll see 🙂
You and your anti vaxxing ilk are truly the dregs of society. Thankfully you have zero mouthpiece to spread any of it. Keep spitting into the wind and being a laughingstock!
Oh, and if you really know so many people who have had heart attacks or other serious medical issues post vaccine, surely you would have gone to the press (or at least Newsmax/OANN) to expose this. So where’s the link to the article or clip? Feel free to share.
Those in my circle don’t want their privacy and lives invaded by evil people like you who don’t care about them, their injuries, or the truth. And I can’t force them to go public, either. Further, Newsmax and OAN are both corrupt. I don’t follow any of them, including FOX. It came out in a lawsuit last week that OAN is owned by Disney. Controlled opposition. Not to be trusted. Overall, the media is not showcasing vaccine injury stories, clearly. If they did, they’d have stories 24/7. Matthew should start reporting on this on a new blog for an additional stream of income. He can start with the CDCs own facts on reported injuries and deaths.
Physician to FDA, CDC: In 20 Years of Practicing Medicine, ‘I’ve Never Witnessed So Many Vaccine-Related Injuries’
Dr. Patricia Lee, a licensed physician in California, said her experience with patients harmed by the COVID vaccine “does not comport with claims made by federal health authorities regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.”
In a letter dated Sept. 28 to officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an ICU physician detailed her concerns about the adverse reactions, including deaths, she witnessed in people who had received a COVID vaccine.
Dr. Patricia Lee, a licensed physician in California, said her experience with patients harmed by the vaccine “does not comport with claims made by federal health authorities regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.”
In the letter, Lee described observing “entirely healthy individuals suffering serious, often fatal, injuries,” including transverse myelitis, resulting in quadriplegia, pneumocystis pneumonia, multi-system organ failure, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, postpartum hemorrhagic shock and septic shock.
Lee, a practicing physician for more than 20 years, said she “never witnessed so many vaccine-related injuries until this year.”
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/dr-patricia-lee-fda-cdc-vaccine-related-injuries/
Stay Proud, Boy
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/08/1004214189/anti-vaccine-film-targeted-to-black-americans-spreads-false-information
MSM? NPR? gov mouthpiece? from June? lol. do better. meaningless when the MSM is bought and paid for, just like your “science”.
Masks are for brainwashed people. I see so many driving alone in their cars wearing a mask. It is sad what a stupid Government has done to affect the mental health of people. BTW, for all brainwashed out there, my family of 4 followed the stupid Governor mandate to wear masks before the vaccines were available, we all had masks on everywhere, dumped tons of hand sanitizer on our hands, used disinfecting wipes everywhere and sometimes had gloves on and we all got Covid. We all had extremely mild symptoms and survived. We all got vaccinated. We don’t wear masks anymore. Life is short, get out of the basement and enjoy it. As for planes, masks are a joke. People have to wear masks inside airports. For what??? Then on planes but hey you can eat and drink without a mask. How stupid can people be? This is just another way to further empower lazy flight attendants to make people’s lives miserable. Kudos to SAS!!!
Yea it’s all the governments fault. We’re you wearing a mask or a tin foil hat when you got covid? Funny, I wore a mask and still do when needed and never got covid. That must mean they work.
This is awesome. Cannot wait until common sense returns to the US. Enough with all this #sciencefiction
Currently in Scotland. Heading to Denmark & Sweeden next month. Or at least that’s the plan. Now I’m concerned.
Based on what I’ve heard on CNN & MSNBC the last 18 months the end of mask mandates is likely to mean an end to civilization as we know it. Hospitals overrun. Pandemonium!
Dios Mio.
Professor, without knowing precisely what the danger is, would you say it’s time for our viewers to crack each other’s heads open and feast on the goo inside?
I would trust the Scandinavians to follow actual science more than Biden/Fauci’s brand of SCIENCE.
Being s huge Lego nerd, Denmark is hot on my list and I am hoping I can go next year.
Better make sure you are vaccinated. Half the readers on LALF won’t be allowed in. Poster “Acura” already has a lifetime ban from Scandinavia for posting mouth breathing false anti vax talking points.
“I know I’m simplifying the issue, but if people want to refuse the vaccine and subject themselves to foolish risk, then let them. The small additional risk I incur as a vaccinated passenger being seated next to or around an unvaccinated one is a risk I am willing to bear.”
On an aircraft, the risk of contracting airborne pathogens like COVID-19 is inherently low due to sophisticated ventilation and air filtration.
SAS and Norwegian’s change means that other airlines will inevitably follow or lobby their governments to allow it.
Not the US airlines. They got bailed out by the US Government so now they are hostages of their stupidity. Also, the FAs love the mask mandate since it one other way they can show power over passengers and another way to be more lazy and not provide more service. I have been in many flights with masks. They are even more rude than before. Had a passenger next to me that had difficulty to speak with his mask and FA could not hear what he was saying (she had asked him what he wanted to drink). She was rude and yelled at him to speak up otherwise she would not be able to serve him. Disgusting.
Let’s go Brandon!
This site is being overrun by anti vaxx and anti mask lunatics. Pretty soon the sane people that come here for travel content will be turned off. These losers are the reason yahoo and other news sites like the chicago tribune for example had to remove their comment sections
Dear Karen:
Seeing boomers are the reason we are in this mess it sounds like to me your complaint is a “play stupid games -> win stupid prizes” issue.
Separately, I’ve considered giving up on this blog but I deeply appreciate the fact that Matthew is bold.
I don’t often agree with him, but that’s life.
Case in point @Whiny with the misinformation spreading troll that replied to you.
All the racists, hoaxers, anti vaxxers, Big Lie spreaders, etc – can’t you just go start and populate The Right Wing Travel Blog (big white space opportunity!) and just leave this and the other legacy sites to the sane and rational people. Thanks!