Letters | ‘No restrictions’ in Hong Kong? Too good to be true

Readers take issue with the chief executive’s description of the situation in the city, and see hope in the return of the marathon

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Supporters wearing masks greet runners during the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 11:30am, 15 Feb 2023

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It seems Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has indeed been telling the good stories of Hong Kong, stories that sound almost too good to be true. It is not only irresponsible for Lee to say on his trip to the United Arab Emirates that Hong Kong has “no restriction whatsoever”, it is also just not true.

Many Hong Kong residents are dreaming of a maskless society, but with no end to the mask mandate in sight, can we really say that we have no restrictions?

The mask mandate should be removed immediately before his comments have a dampening effect on public opinion, both in and outside Hong Kong. Or can I actually go out maskless and not be fined HK$5,000 (US$637) for doing so? I think not, and I am not willing to put this to the test for the sake of my wallet.

Lee Ross, Kowloon City

City reopening off to running start with marathon

I was among the 30,000-plus runners who were thrilled to take part in the 25th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday following the government’s relaxation of Covid-19 rules.