This week, Hong Kong is lifting nearly all of its Covid restrictions, similar to what mainland China is doing.
People arriving in the city, a special administrative region of China, will no longer be required to undergo mandatory PCR tests beginning on Thursday.
The immunization pass framework will likewise be rejected – however necessary covers out in the open spots will proceed.
The city, which once had some of the strictest restrictions in the world, has taken a dramatic action.
The Thursday rule that limits the number of people who can gather outside to 12 is also being dropped.
As part of measures to begin reopening the city, this was increased from four in October.
John Lee, the leader of Hong Kong, said that one of the reasons restrictions were lifted was because of high vaccination rates.
As indicated by government figures, 93% of the populace have had two antibody portions, while over 83% have gotten three.
Yet, just 64% of individuals more than 80 – the most weak age bunch – have had three dosages.
In contrast to mainland China, which has developed its own vaccines, Hong Kong has utilized more effective mRNA vaccines, such as the German-made BioNTech jab.
Mr. Lee stated on Wednesday, “Hong Kong has a sufficient amount of medicine to fight Covid, and healthcare workers have gained rich experience in dealing with the pandemic.”
“The society has constructed an overall and fairly extensive barrier against epidemics.”
Overview
Mr. Lee went on to say that the city would take “more targeted measures” instead of the vaccine pass, which has limited unvaccinated people’s access to public places since it was introduced in February. Some of these “more targeted measures” would include promoting vaccination for children and the elderly.
More than 2.5 million cases of Covid have resulted in the deaths of more than 11,000 people in Hong Kong, according to official statistics.
The city has attempted to eradicate the virus using a “zero-Covid” strategy ever since the pandemic began, much like mainland China has done.
Some residents and business owners criticized this, claiming that the policy hurt Hong Kong’s economy and international standing.
Hong Kong’s removal of COVID restrictions comes just a few weeks after mainland China made a similar decision as a result of significant protests against the controls.
Beijing announced additional plans to ease travel restrictions on Monday and Tuesday. Before the middle of January, Hong Kong has stated that it will completely reopen its borders with the rest of China.
