After China, Hong Kong is now also scrapping most of the corona measures that were in force in the city for about three years. Hong Kong leader John Lee said Wednesday in a press conference that citizens no longer have to show proof of vaccination to enter public spaces, travelers no longer need PCR tests, and the maximum number of twelve people that are allowed to gather will be abolished. However, the face mask obligation will continue to apply in public. The policy relaxation will take effect on Thursday.
According to Lee, Hong Kong has been preparing for these relaxations for six months: “It is the right time for us to do this”. Although the number of corona cases in mainland China has increased rapidly since Beijing released the corona measures, Lee does not seem to be concerned. He points to the relatively high vaccination rate in Hong Kong, and says he has enough medicines and healthcare personnel to fight the virus.
Lee hopes to reopen the borders between Hong Kong and China – which have been subject to travel restrictions since early 2020 – on January 15. Hong Kong followed China’s zero-covid policy for a long time. Following protests, Chinese President Xi Jinping let go of his strict regime of lockdowns and testing on December 7. Due to the low vaccination rate and few previous infections, the virus has spread quickly in the country since then. According to predictions, the release of the corona measures could lead to more than a million deaths.