Prognosis
Hong Kong Scraps Rapid Tests for Bars in Further Covid Easing
- Changes come as city’s chief heads to Beijing to meet with Xi
- City will maintain mask mandate to counter respiratory disease
The Lan Kwai Fong nightlife area in Hong Kong.
Photographer: Lam Yik/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Hong Kong will allow people to enter bars without a negative rapid test, and scrapped limits on patrons for a raft of venues, as the financial hub continues to slowly loosen some of its last remaining Covid curbs ahead of a trip by the city’s leader to Beijing.
The end of the testing rule for entry to venues including bars and nightclubs, which was put in place in June, will take effect from Thursday, officials announced on Tuesday. The cap on the number of people allowed to participate in banquets, which is currently 240, will also end. The 12 people per table limit for restaurants will be kept, but may be the next measure to be relaxed, Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee said.