HK may end outdoor mask rule

HONG KONG: The Special Administrative Region could scrap its outdoor mask mandate and shorten the isolation period for people who test positive for Covid as part of a suite of major relaxations in the city’s virus rules being considered by the government, local media reported.

As well as potentially scrapping the mask rule, the government is considering using rapid-antigen tests to replace the two PCR tests currently required for inbound travellers, and the Hospital Authority may explore relaxing discharge criteria for patients, pro-China newspaper Wen Wei Po reported Thursday, citing people it didn’t identify. The newspaper didn’t give a timeline for when any changes would be announced.