Commuters wearing face masks browse their smartphones as they ride the subway in Hong Kong on February 7, 2023. Hong Kong will lift its mask-wearing rule on Wednesday, March 1, 2020. 2023, ending the last major city restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andy Wong/AP
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Andy Wong/AP
Commuters wearing face masks browse their smartphones as they ride the subway in Hong Kong on February 7, 2023. Hong Kong will lift its mask-wearing rule on Wednesday, March 1, 2020. 2023, ending the last major city restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andy Wong/AP
HONG KONG — Hong Kong will lift its mask-wearing rule on Wednesday, ending the city’s last major restriction imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
City CEO John Lee said the requirement would end outdoors and indoors, including public transportation, but some high-risk facilities include hospitals and nursing homes. can still require people to wear masks.
Lee’s announcement at a press conference on Tuesday came a day after neighboring Macau eased its mask-wearing regulations and will bring the financial hub closer to life in the days before. epidemic.
He said he made the decision because the city has not seen a resurgence of the infections and has built an immunity barrier.
“To give people a very clear message that Hong Kong is returning to normal, I think this is the right time to make a decision,” he said.
He said a return to normal would be beneficial to Hong Kong’s economic development and international competitiveness.
During most of the pandemic, people in Hong Kong were required to wear masks in indoor and outdoor public areas. Violators can be fined HK$5,000 ($637).
Hong Kong has largely followed China’s “no COVID” strategy for the past three years and used to have some of the strictest anti-virus rules in the world. Over the past six months, the government has taken bigger steps to open up in an effort to revive the economy and catch up with rivals like Singapore.
