Hong Kong does not need to bring back its mask mandate and other social-distancing curbs even though Covid-19 and flu cases are on the rise, the city’s health minister has said, adding that reintroducing the face covering directive would have a negative impact on society.

But Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Saturday also warned that the flu season, which began this month, had not peaked yet and typically took 12 to 16 weeks to subside.

During a television interview, Lo also said Covid-19 cases were rising, with respiratory tract nucleic acid screening showing a positive result in almost four out of every 100 tests, marking a fourfold increase from the lowest point, when less than one positive case was detected per 100 samples.