– Hong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, ending a measure that was put in place nearly 1,000 days ago to curb the spread of COVID-19. Face coverings will no longer be required indoors, outdoors, or on public transport.

– The move comes as the government aims to revive the economy by attracting tourists and overseas talent.

– Despite criticisms from lawmakers, tourism experts, and public health experts, Hong Kong had enforced the mask mandate with fines of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275) and issued more than 22,000 tickets for mask violations.

Hong Kong has announced that nearly 1,000 days after the pandemic mandate was imposed, Hongkongers will finally be able to leave their homes without a face mask from Wednesday. Face coverings will no longer be required indoors, outdoors, or on public transport. This move marks the end of a measure that has become a relic globally as the world adjusts to living alongside the coronavirus. Hong Kong was one of the last places on Earth to enforce mask-wearing outside, with violators facing hefty fines. The end of masking restrictions comes as the government tries to revive the recession-hit economy by wooing back tourists and overseas talent.

The announcement was met with mixed reactions. Lawmakers called it harmful to schoolchildren. Tourism experts and business groups warned it was undercutting the city’s global image. And public health experts questioned the necessity against an endemic virus. However, Chief Executive John Lee emphasized the benefits of resuming normalcy, which he believes will be very beneficial to economic development.

The decision to end the mask mandate also appears at odds with Lee’s recently announced “Hello, Hong Kong” campaign to welcome travellers with “no isolation, no quarantine and no restrictions”. Maskless dancers in the campaign’s promotional video attracted criticism online for distorting the reality of a city where face coverings were ubiquitous and enforced with fines of up to HK$10,000 ($1,275).

Hong Kong’s move to scrap the mask mandate is not entirely surprising. Official data shows that by the end of 2022, Hong Kong had issued more than 22,000 tickets for mask violations and collected HK$111.56 million in fines. Moreover, Hong Kong was one of the world’s last masking holdouts. By last year, most European countries that had imposed mask rules had scaled them back everywhere except on planes and some metros. Hong Kong’s Asian rival Singapore scrapped indoor face coverings in August, while South Korea did the same in January this year. In Taiwan, people could breathe unfiltered air again in most areas as of February 20, and Macau became the most recent addition after dropping its mandate on Monday.

However, the announcement also comes with a caveat. Lee has left high-risk venues like hospitals and elderly care homes to make their own masking policies. Shortly after his announcement, the public hospitals operator said patients, visitors, and staff would still need to wear masks.

In conclusion, the decision to end the mask mandate in Hong Kong marks a significant step towards normalcy, and the government hopes that this move will help to revive the economy by welcoming back tourists and overseas talent. Nevertheless, the announcement has been met with mixed reactions, and the decision to leave high-risk venues to make their own policies suggests that some level of caution is still necessary.

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