Hong Kong to lift ban on flights from nine countries in April

Hong Kong will resume international flights from nine countries, including France, the United Kingdom and the United States, from April, local chief executive Carrie Lam announced on Monday (March 21).

Read also“Covid zero” harms Hong Kong’s reputation

After the appearance in the financial center of the highly contagious Omicron variant in January, the authorities had banned flights from eight countries: France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Philippines , Pakistan and India, before adding Nepal in February.

The toll of the epidemic, however, quickly climbed despite increasingly severe social distancing measures to reach more than one million cases of coronavirus and 5,600 deaths for a population of more than 7 million.

Panic over possible confinement

The flight ban "

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His government has been criticized from all sides for its handling of the crisis and unclear communication since the territory was hit by a fifth wave of coronavirus linked to the Omicron variant.

Fear of the territory being locked down sowed panic in February, with residents rushing to supermarkets to buy basic necessities and leading to an unprecedented exodus of foreign and local residents.

The surge in cases has come even as this international financial hub implemented some of the strictest border restrictions and social distancing measures on the planet from the start of the pandemic, with the exception of mainland China.