Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday said he will soon make a decision on further relaxing coronavirus restrictions, as residents and businesses decry quarantine rules that have kept the finance hub cut off for more than two years.
“We will make a decision soon and announce to the public,” chief executive John Lee told reporters.
“We want to be connected with the different places in the world. We would like to have an orderly opening up,” he added.
“Our goal is to maximize Hong Kong’s international connectivity and reduce the inconvenience for arrivals due to quarantine, on the condition that we can control the trend of the pandemic."
However, Lee did not confirm that the government has already agreed to lift quarantine, or commit to a firm timeline on Tuesday. But his comments were the strongest indication yet that Hong Kong is planning to join much of the rest of the world in accepting endemicity.
Hong Kong has adhered to a version of China’s strict zero COVID-19 rules throughout the pandemic, battering the economy and deepening the city’s brain drain as rival business hubs reopen.
It maintains mandatory hotel quarantine for international arrivals — currently at three days — widespread masking, business operating limits and bans on more than four people gathering in public.
“We will make a decision soon and announce to the public,” chief executive John Lee told reporters.
“We want to be connected with the different places in the world. We would like to have an orderly opening up,” he added.
“Our goal is to maximize Hong Kong’s international connectivity and reduce the inconvenience for arrivals due to quarantine, on the condition that we can control the trend of the pandemic."
However, Lee did not confirm that the government has already agreed to lift quarantine, or commit to a firm timeline on Tuesday. But his comments were the strongest indication yet that Hong Kong is planning to join much of the rest of the world in accepting endemicity.
Hong Kong has adhered to a version of China’s strict zero COVID-19 rules throughout the pandemic, battering the economy and deepening the city’s brain drain as rival business hubs reopen.
It maintains mandatory hotel quarantine for international arrivals — currently at three days — widespread masking, business operating limits and bans on more than four people gathering in public.
