Hong Kong's government says it will lift its COVID mask mandate on Tuesday

Tuesday will mark the termination of Hong Kong's final significant COVID-19-related restriction: the mask mandate. According to the city's chief executive, John Lee, the mandate will no longer be enforced both inside and outside, including on public transportation, although select high-risk locations, such as hospitals and nursing homes, may still need masks to be worn. The day after Macau, a neighbouring city, relaxed its mask restriction, bringing the financial centre closer to life in the days before the epidemic, Lee made his announcement at a news event on Tuesday. He said he made the choice because the city had developed an immune barrier and had not seen a return in illnesses. "I think now is the ideal time to make the decision," he added, "to send people a very clear message that Hong Kong is regaining normalcy." He said that the restoration of normalcy will help Hong Kong's economy grow and boost its global competitiveness. People in Hong Kong have been obliged to wear masks in both indoor and outdoor public spaces during the majority of the epidemic. Infringers risk paying a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars ($637). For the past three years, Hong Kong has essentially adopted China's "zero-COVID" approach and had among of the harshest anti-virus laws in the world. The administration has increased its openness in the previous six months in an effort to boost its economy and catch up with competitors, like Singapore.