HONG KONG – Hong Kong will end some of its last major Covid-19 rules, scrapping limits on public gatherings and no longer requiring proof of vaccination for entry to some venues, in a sweeping overhaul of policies aimed at reviving its reputation as a global financial centre.
There will be no cap on public gatherings, and the city’s vaccine pass will also be scrapped, starting from Thursday, Chief Executive John Lee said on Wednesday. The city will also no longer require arrivals to undertake PCR tests, though they will be recommended to do rapid tests for five days, and close contacts of Covid-positive people will not need to quarantine, he said. The changes are based on a high immunity level in the city, sufficient medicine, experience of handling Covid-19 among healthcare workers, an improved emergency response system and better awareness among residents, Mr Lee said.
“The city has reached a relatively high vaccination rate which builds an anti-epidemic barrier,” Mr Lee said. “Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of medicine to fight Covid-19, and healthcare workers have gained rich experience in facing the pandemic.” “The above mentioned changes are strongly pushing Hong Kong to recover,” he added. While the changes mean Hong Kong has done away with almost all of its major pandemic curbs – a mask mandate and daily rapid tests for schools remain – the incremental pace of loosening stands in stark contrast with the abrupt U-turn on Covid Zero in mainland China.