Hong Kong to ease strict COVID-19 measures from April
STORY: Lam said a ban on flights from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and the United States would be lifted from April 1. Hotel quarantine for arrivals could be cut to seven days from 14 if residents tested negative. Schools would resume face to face classes from April 19, and a plan to carry out mass coronavirus testing would also be put on hold, with Lam citing experts who said it was not a suitable time.
The moves come after a backlash from businesses and residents who see the rest of the world shifting to "living with the virus". Her administration has been scolded repeatedly by politicians, pro-Beijing media and on Chinese social media, just weeks before the city is due to hold an election on May 8 to choose who will lead the territory for the next five years.
Hong Kong's border has effectively been shut since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global financial hub. Residents in the Chinese-ruled territory have become increasingly frustrated with the stringent measures, many of which have been in place for over two years.
