Hong Kong Marathon drops pre-race RAT, PCR test – ‘it’s time to get back to normal’
- Easing of restrictions revealed by organisers on same day Chief Executive says Hong Kong will now treat Covid-19 as upper respiratory disease
- Runners still required to wear mask upon arriving at the starting line and immediately after completing the race at Victoria Park, organisers confirm
With only three weeks until the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, organisers announced on Thursday that pre-race PCR and rapid antigen tests are no longer required to take part.
The city’s flagship event, which is set to take place on February 12, will feature 37,000 runners competing in the marathon, half marathon, and 10 distances.
“We lifted the PCR [polymerase chain reaction] and rapid antigen tests in response to the government’s relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions,” Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) chairman Kwan Kee said.
“It’s time to get back to normal.”
Competitors must still wear masks at the start and finish lines, however.
On Thursday morning, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told lawmakers that Hong Kong should now treat Covid-19 as an upper respiratory disease under the new normal, with isolation to be dropped for Covid-19 patients from January 30.