Hong Kong schools welcome lifting of mask mandate, but warn it could take time for young pupils to adjust
- Some pupils may continue to wear masks owing to parents’ concerns over infection risks, principals say
- Teachers say they look forward to seeing pupils’ faces for first time in nearly three years
Hong Kong parents may still want their children to wear masks even after the mandate is lifted, school heads have said, predicting some families will remain anxious about infection risks while younger pupils may need time to adapt to seeing people’s faces.
The principals were responding to the government’s decision to end the Covid-19 mask mandate on Wednesday after nearly three years.
A spokeswoman for the Education Bureau said the government’s policy change would apply to all schools and the bureau would soon issue the updated version of the health guidelines.
She added that pupils should still be required to complete the daily rapid antigen tests until March 15, when the arrangement would be reviewed.
Vu Im-fan, head of the Subsidised Primary Schools Council and a principal, said the sector welcomed the end to the mask mandate but added parents had the right to let their children wear masks if they found it necessary.