Hong Kong Will End Most COVID Restrictions on Thursday

Hong Kong Will End Most COVID Restrictions on Thursday

Hong Kong is dropping almost all its Covid restrictions this week, following a similar announcement by mainland China. 

All measures would be cancelled on Thursday, with the exception of the face mask requirement, Lee told a media briefing on Wednesday. That means that people arriving in Hong Kong will no longer have to do mandatory PCR tests.

“The city has reached a relatively high vaccination rate which builds an anti-epidemic barrier,” city leader John Lee said, as per BBC. “Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of medicine to fight COVID, and healthcare workers have gained rich experience in facing the pandemic,” he added.

According to government figures, 93% of the population have had two vaccine doses, while more than 83% have received three. But only 64% of people over 80 – the most vulnerable age group – have had three doses.

Lee said that his government is also aiming to reopen the borders with mainland China by Jan. 15 and was working with authorities over the border to ensure an orderly re-opening. He said the authorities have been preparing for the scrapping of all restrictions for months.

“The time is appropriate for us to do this, having prepared for six months to do this,” said Lee. “The whole society is preparing for this. We are doing all this according to our local epidemic situation.”

Hong Kong introduced a vaccine pass requirement in February which was a must for people to access most venues in Hong Kong. That will also end on Thursday. Social distancing rules such as a cap on gatherings of more than 12 people in public will also be scrapped.