It’s been almost three years since the pandemic began, and on Tuesday, Hong Kong announced the end to its mask mandate enforced through fines, which could reach more than $1,000 per offender.
Hong Kong was one of the last major international cities that still required face coverings in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, its decision to enforce financial fines for those who violated the mandate has been considered controversial.
Hong Kong first implemented the mandate for only public transit on July 15, 2020. Two weeks later, the rule was pushed to include indoor and outdoor areas. At the time, people were already wearing masks long before the mandate was in place.
On Wednesday, the mandate will come to its inevitable close, according to the city’s leader, John Lee, who broke the news at a press conference 959 days after it was announced.
“We are now returning to normalcy,” Lee said during the press conference, Reuters reported.
Hong Kong Health Secretary Lo Mau-Chung also spoke, taking time to emphasize the end of the city’s “epidemic restrictions.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing a smile on everyone’s face now,” he said.
Hong Kong announced the decision with COVID-19 winding down globally, but also as a way to lure would-be-tourists and business travelers into the city after almost three years of restricted access, CNN reported.
This follows suit with several countries around the world that have either dropped their mask, testing, quarantine, or vaccine mandates to enter their country.
Still, health agencies like the World Health Organization are warning caution as mandates and health protocols continue to sunset.
For example, the WHO still recommends that health workers still wear masks, as Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the WHO’s response to COVID, said COVID-19 is “circulating pretty much unchecked around the world at the moment.”
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