Hong Kong scraps one in all world’s longest masks mandate after 945 days

Hong Kong will scrap its Covid-19 masks mandate from March 1 – 945 days after it was first imposed in 2020.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 28, 2023 11:52 IST

People sporting face masks in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, China (Reuters picture)

By India Today World Desk: Hong Kong will scrap its Covid-19 masks mandate from March 1, stated its chief government John Lee on Tuesday. This will carry an finish to one of many world’s longest masks mandates and comes 945 days after the stringent guidelines had been first imposed within the monetary hub, stated a report by Bloomberg.

The authorities’s transfer is supposed to lure again guests and enterprise and restore regular life to the area.

John Lee stated the measure will take impact from March 1 and stated, “From tomorrow we are completely returning to normalcy.” He added that lifting the masks mandate is a transparent message to indicate Hong Kong is resuming normalcy.

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Earlier this month, the federal government launched a promotional marketing campaign known as “Hello Hong Kong” to carry again vacationers and companies in an effort to spice up its financial system which had been affected by the pandemic.

Hong Kong is without doubt one of the final locations globally that also imposes a masks mandate.

Hong Kong and Macau have each adopted China’s zero-Covid coverage for a big chunk of the previous three years. Hong Kong began lifting a number of the stringent norms in 2022 however the mask-mandate has remained since 2020.

John Lee stated that directors in excessive threat locations similar to hospitals can determine whether or not workers and guests will probably be required to put on masks.

Reuters reported folks now not need to put on masks outside in mainland China, however authorities encourage them to take action in public indoor areas similar to airports and practice stations.

Several enterprise teams, diplomats and plenty of residents had slammed Hong Kong’s strict Covid-19 guidelines, saying they threatened its standing as a global monetary centre.

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Published On:

Feb 28, 2023