HK must now abandon all Covid measures: lawmaker
It's time for Hong Kong to scrap all its Covid measures so it can welcome back mainland visitors without any problems, a lawmaker said on Tuesday. Beijing has now abandoned most of its pandemic restrictions, with the latest move announced being the end of quarantine for arrivals from January 8. Legislator Doreen Kong said Hong Kong's anti-Covid measures should now be brought into line with those across the border, as she called for the scrapping of rules on face masks, the vaccine pass scheme and social distancing requirements. Kong warned there could be "controversies" or "conflicts" if Hong Kong's current pandemic rules are still in place when mainland tourists return to the territory.  "There are still quite a lot of mainland Chinese who haven't got vaccines. So are we saying that we would forbid them from entering Hong Kong, or even if they enter Hong Kong, would we impose certain kinds of social distancing measures or even the vaccine pass?" she questioned. Kong said there is no longer an emergency situation in the SAR and it is time to allow life to return to normal. "We can choose whether we want to wear a mask to protect ourselves, or to protect our family. We should have the choice to go back to our social life, especially for the elderly and the kids," she said. Kong added that the SAR government should be as "efficient" as the mainland and ensure the city is well prepared for a further relaxation in Covid measures. "If the citizens do not wear a mask, of course the number of cases will go up. The Hong Kong government should provide enough medical services, especially for those having mild symptoms, and also pay attention to the elderly and the kids. They should receive prioritised medical services."