According to Chief Executive John Lee, Hong Kong will no longer be required to wear masks starting on Wednesday, removing the financial hub’s final significant Covid restriction as it attempts to recover from the pandemic.
Everyone above the age of two was compelled to wear one or risk a fine of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275), making the city one of the last in the world to mandate face coverings in practically all public settings.
“I announce that the masking requirement will be completely cancelled starting tomorrow, March 1, including for indoors, outdoors and (on) public transportation,” Lee said at a brief press conference on Tuesday.
Hospitals and nursing homes may impose their own limitations, he continued.
The mask requirement was put into place three years ago, and it has been in effect for about a thousand days.
Hong Kong has loosened its prohibitions after Macau, a neighboring Chinese state, did the same on Monday. Macau dropped the restriction outside of high-risk public spaces like hospitals.
