Finally, Hongkong is mask free after 1000 days
Finally, it’s the end of the mandatory mask rule in Hong Kong after nearly around 1000 days.
According to Chief Executive John Lee, Hong Kong’s mask mandate will be carried out beginning Wednesday, marking the end of the financial hub’s last major Covid restriction as it seeks to recover from the pandemic.
The city was one of the last in the world to require face coverings in almost all public places, with anyone over the age of 2 necessary to wear one or face a fine of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275).
“I announce that the masking requirement will be cancelled beginning tomorrow, March 1,” Lee stated during a press conference on Tuesday.
He also stated that hospitals and nursing homes might impose restrictions.
The mask mandate was imposed 3 years earlier and had lasted nearly 1,000 days.
Hong Kong’s relaxation comes after Macau, a neighbouring Chinese territory, relaxed its mask rules on Monday, eliminating the measure except in high-risk public areas such as hospitals.
According to official data, Hong Kong issued over 22,000 tickets for mask violations and gathered HK$111.56 million ($14.22 million) by the end of 2022.
Hong Kong used to be one of the world’s last remaining masking hubs.
Most European nations that had imposed mask norms had relaxed them by last year, except for planes and some metros.
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