The city is one of the last places in the world that still required everyone over the age of two years to wear a muzzle while in any public place, under penalty of a fine of about 1,200 euros.
Hong Kong announced Tuesday that wearing a muzzle in closed public places as well as outdoors will no longer be a compulsory measure as of Wednesday, thus canceling the latest restrictions it imposed to contain the Covid pandemic.
And the Chinese city is one of the last places in the world that still requires everyone over the age of two years to wear a muzzle while in any public place, under penalty of a fine of ten thousand Hong Kong dollars (1,200 euros).
Hong Kong imposed this measure 959 days ago, on July 15, 2020, in public transportation at first, and then expanded to include public places outside and inside.
And Tuesday, John Lee, head of the Hong Kong Executive Authority, told reporters, “I announce that the obligation to wear a muzzle will be completely abolished from tomorrow, the first of March, including indoors, outdoors and on public transport.”
He added that hospitals and nursing homes could impose their own health restrictions.
The authorities in Hong imposed the obligation to wear a muzzle three years ago, and this procedure has been in effect for nearly 1,000 days. This is the last restriction that was still in effect in Hong Kong among the series of restrictions imposed by the city authorities to combat the spread of the Corona virus.
City residents have recently complained about the measure, especially since statistics indicate that many people have contracted Covid, calling for it to be eased in a gradual manner.
The announcement of the cancellation of this procedure comes a day after a similar decision was issued by the authorities in the neighboring Chinese province of Macau, in which it maintained the obligation to wear the muzzle in high-risk places such as hospitals.
