The Government announced today that it will continue to closely monitor the situation of COVID-19 mutations and the risks with emphasis on the protection of high-risk groups, and keep watch of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest assessments.
 
It made the remarks in response to media enquiries regarding the WHO’s announcement that the COVID-19 epidemic situation no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
 
The Government pointed out that, after the lifting of the mandatory mask-wearing requirement in early March, all anti-epidemic measures applicable to the general public were lifted and the society has fully resumed normalcy.
 
COVID-19 is now managed as an upper respiratory tract illness, while the anti-epidemic measures’ focus is the protection of the high-risk groups, it added.
 
Following the WHO’s announcement yesterday that the COVID-19 epidemic situation no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, the Government said it will make reference to the WHO’s latest advice in assessing the local situation and relevant risks as well as the mutation of COVID-19 strains.
 
As a result of such an assessment, the Government will appraise the epidemic prevention and control response level, and adjust the remaining measures and arrangements in relation to the epidemic accordingly. Announcements will be made in due course as appropriate.
 
The WHO also pointed out that although the phase of COVID-19 taken as a public health emergency of international concern was over, the pandemic is ongoing.
 
As the number of local infected cases keeps climbing recently, the Government stressed that it is calling on those who have not completed the first three doses of vaccine, as well as people in the high-risk groups who have not yet received vaccine boosters as per experts’ recommendation, to get vaccinated as early as possible for protection.