Travellers wearing face masks queue at the check-in counters of the Hong Kong International Airport amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, March 21, 2022.
(Picture: REUTERS)Hong Kong has announced a plan to end Covid restrictions and will scrap the flight ban on the UK, the city’s chief executive Carrie Lam said on Monday.
Despite record-breaking Covid infections in the territory, a flight ban on nine countries including the UK and US - which was introduced in January - will be lifted from April 1.
Ms Lam also set out a roadmap to end social distancing, while hotel quarantine will also be cut from 14 days to seven, provided travellers test negative.
Schools will resume face-to-face classes from April 19, while other social distancing measures, including a limit on the number of diners in restaurants and the closure of bars, gyms and massage parlours will be eased in stages from April 21, Lam said.
Despite following China’s ‘zero Covid’ strategy, Hong Kong is experiencing its worst outbreak due to the highly transmissive Omicron strain.
On February 28, Hong Kong recorded 11.25 daily deaths per million but that spiked to 32.57 as of March 20, figures from Our World in Data show.
Although case numbers have now fallen, Hong Kong also reported 76,991 new Covid cases on March 3, the highest the region has ever experienced.
There were fears Hong Kong would run out of coffins within days last week.
In quotes carried by the Hong Kong Standard, Mr Kwok said: “The 130 coffins ordered some 10 days ago only arrived on Tuesday. It was impossible to catch up with demand.
“We hope that authorities in Hong Kong and the mainland could coordinate to maintain coffin transport by land transport.”
Experts believe the high case and deaths rates are caused by a relatively low vaccination rate in the older population in comparison to western countries like the UK.
