Hong Kong’s John Lee stresses balance in easing quarantine

By ZEN SOO
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s new leader John Lee says he will work on easing restrictions for travelers while balancing the risks of a coronavirus outbreak overwhelming the health care system. He spoke at his first news conference since becoming Hong Kong’s chief executive. Hong Kong and mainland China are among the few places in the world that still quarantine arrivals. Lee said Tuesday he was “conscious” of the need for Hong Kong to remain open to travelers. He also said Hong Kong had a “constitutional duty” to enact its own national security law. Enacting Article 23 of the Basic Law has been controversial. But the legislature is now filled with pro-Beijing lawmakers after a crackdown on dissent, and the laws are more likely to pass.