Hong Kong embattled leader Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday that the city will partly resume transit services at its international airport next week, as the business hub gradually reopens while keeping the coronavirus at bay.
Hong Kong’s airport is one of the world’s busiest but arrivals and flights have collapsed in the wake of the global pandemic.
The chief executive Lam said, “Transit services at the airport, which have been suspended since March 25, will partly resume on June 1”.
More information on lifting transit flight restrictions were expected to be unveiled at a press conference by health officials later in the afternoon.
Hong Kong was one of the first places to record the COVID-19 disease when it broke out of mainland China.
The city has recorded 1,000 infections and four deaths out of a population of 7.5 million people.
Tuesday marked 11 consecutive days with no recorded local infections.
Earlier, Health experts suggested that Hong Kong could be considered to be free of local transmission if there were no such cases after 28 days, or two incubation cycles for the coronavirus.
Hong Kong residents were able to go to gyms, beauty parlours, bars, restaurants, and other public venues which were closed for more than a month after city officials allowed a partial reopening of eight types of businesses, but with conditions.
Anyone arriving at the airport is not allowed into the city until they take a coronavirus test. Those found to be positive are immediately quarantined.
Hong Kong’s airport was ranked the largest air cargo hub and the fourth largest international passenger centre in 2019 by the Airports Council International, handling 4.8 million metric tonnes of cargo and over 71 million international passengers.
Last year, arrivals dropped during massive anti-government protests that rocked the city for months.
Earlier, Lam had announced the relaxation of social distancing measures, including allowing some entertainment venues to reopen and schools to resume classes, as the COVID-19 pandemic was, what she claimed, subsiding in the city.