Skip to content
Politics
Prognosis

Asia, Save China, Is Finally Lifting Its Last Pandemic Rules

  • Hong Kong, Japan and others scrap rules like travel quarantine
  • China remains isolated as the world looks beyond the pandemic
Pedestrians wearing protective face masks pass bars and restaurants in the Shimbashi District of Tokyo.

Pedestrians wearing protective face masks pass bars and restaurants in the Shimbashi District of Tokyo.

Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg
By

Asia, the region that has fought the pandemic the longest and with the most stringent restrictions, is moving on -- with one major exception.

Across the continent, countries from Japan to Thailand have eliminated mask mandates and opened their borders to tourists. In Hong Kong, officials announced on Friday that the city will scrap its longstanding quarantine policy, marking a clear break with China’s Covid Zero strategy, which has left the world’s second-largest economy more isolated than ever.