Hong Kong, one of many final locations on the planet to impose tight Covid-19 restrictions on face coverings, will drop its masks mandate from Wednesday.
John Lee, the Chinese language territory’s chief and former prime cop, mentioned necessities to put on a masks indoors, open air and on public transport could be scrapped.
“With the lifting of the masks mandate, we now have now formally eliminated all anti-epidemic restrictions. Hong Kong has totally returned to normalcy,” mentioned well being minister Lo Chung-mau. “We are able to all put a smile on our faces.”
Japan didn’t have a masks mandate however eased tips on masks carrying earlier in February.
Macau, one other Chinese language territory adjoining to Hong Kong, dropped its outside and indoor masks mandate on Monday, whereas Taiwan halted its indoor masks mandate in February, having earlier lifted an outside requirement on face coverings.
Hong Kong’s economic system was crippled after the town was compelled to comply with China in imposing tight pandemic restrictions together with at factors a weeks lengthy quarantine and a ban on vacationers.
Together with a troublesome safety crackdown which adopted 2019’s pro-democracy protests, the principles undermined the town’s standing as a monetary hub.
Lee mentioned the town would now try and rebuild. “We are going to concentrate on our economic system and the town’s improvement this yr and the following after resuming normalcy,” he mentioned on Tuesday.
