People wait for a traffic sign to change on the first day of the Japanese government's relaxation of official guidance on masks as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, at a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon 

A couple poses for photographs among people wearing masks to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A couple poses for photographs among people wearing masks to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A woman rides on an escalator past a boy wearing a mask to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A woman rides on an escalator past a person wearing a mask to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A woman sits next to people wearing masks to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Women ride on an escalator past a couple wearing masks to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak walk in the Sanya International Duty-Free shopping complex in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak wait in line to enter an Alexander McQueen store at the Sanya International Duty-Free shopping complex in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak walk outside the Sanya International Duty-Free shopping complex in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak wait in line to enter a store at the Sanya International Duty-Free shopping complex in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak wait in line to enter a Bottega Veneta store at the Sanya International Duty-Free shopping complex in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

Li Qiang, 40, owner of a small shop selling coconuts and other convenience items, stands outside his store at a beach during the Spring Festival and Lunar New Year holiday in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

Li Qiang, 40, owner of a small shop selling coconuts and other convenience items, speaks with a man outside his store at a beach during the Spring Festival and Lunar New Year holiday in Sanya, Hainan province, China January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Diviggiano 

Customers wearing face masks shop for flowers ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for decorations ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for flowers ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for flowers ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for peach blossoms ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for tangerine trees ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

Customers wearing face masks shop for flowers ahead of the Lunar New Year, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu 

A shop owner uses her mobile phone at her stall ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Tourists shop ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

A tourist shops ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Tourists shop for street foods ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Tourists take a selfie next to a street vendor at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Tourists are seen at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A street vendor waits for customers in front of a cosmetic shop that had been closed during the pandimic, at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Choi Dae-sung, 49, a street vendor selling clothing, prepares to open his business at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Street vendors (L) wait for customers at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Chinese tourists take a selfie next to a street vendor at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Chinese tourists stand next to street vendors at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

Street vendors (L) wait for customers at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji 

A sale staff is seen between a store curtain at HiKESHi SPiRiT, a clothes shop featuring Japanese firefighter organization of the Edo era, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato 

Sales manager Masaki Nagayama (38) prepares to open his store named HiKESHi SPiRiT, a clothes shop featuring Japanese firefighter organization of the Edo era, mid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato 

Sales manager Masaki Nagayama (38) works at his store named HiKESHi SPiRiT, a clothes shop featuring Japanese firefighter organization of the Edo era, mid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato 

Chinese language menus of cannabis are seen inside a Sky High cannabis shop at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourist after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Chinese language menus of cannabis are seen inside a Sky High cannabis shop at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourist after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Chinese language menus of cannabis are seen inside a Sky High cannabis shop at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourist after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Chinese language menus of cannabis are seen inside a Sky High cannabis shop at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourist after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Chinese language menus of cannabis are seen inside a Sky High cannabis shop at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourist after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

Tourists are seen in front of cannabis shops at Khaosan road, one of the top tourist attraction spots as Thailand is expecting arrivals of Chinese tourists after China reopens its borders amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha 

A woman walks out of an underground shopping centre decorated with lanterns for the Chinese Lunar New Year, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang 

Customers shop at an underground shopping centre decorated with lanterns, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Beijing, China January 6, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang 

People wearing protective masks walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

People wearing protective masks walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

A woman wearing a protective mask and a face shield walks along in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

People wearing protective masks walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

A woman wearing a protective mask walks with a bicycle in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

People wearing protective masks walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Shanghai, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song 

People walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

A woman and a child walk in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

Women with shopping bags stand in a street as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

People wait for a taxi in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

People enter a store in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

A man sells street food in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

Delivery workers unload packages in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

People buy street food in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

A chef smokes a cigarette in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter 

Delivery workers handle packages in a shopping district as China returns to work despite continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in Beijing, China, January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter