Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR) started to remove some of its harsh COVID-19 restrictions last year, following Beijing’s lead in easing zero-Covid policy measures, but the city’s mandatory mask-wearing had remained in place for much of the last three years.

But starting tomorrow, one of the last major international metropolises to continue to enforce a mask-wearing mandate will finally end the policy.

Recently, many local business groups and citizens had expressed criticism of Hong Kong’s COVID-19 safety restrictions amid concerns of the negative impact they would have on international competitiveness, as well as to the city’s standing as a global financial hub.

The announcement of the policy change, which takes effect on March 1, was made today by the city’s leader John Lee, who said that Hong Kong seeks to resume attracting international enterprise and tourism, and ditching the mask mandate will provide a boost to economic development in the Hongkong special administrative region.