Security Chris Tang Ping-keung told lawmakers in a meeting of the Legislative Council today that the government will keep a close eye on the implementation of Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation, as well as conduct a review of the legislation at the appropriate time, since "national security concerns" are prevalent in society.

He added that the government was aware that citizens may still need time to use masks despite the city dropping the mandatory mask order, one of the anti-pandemic measures, on March 1.

"...But the mask-wearing prohibition will only be applied to citizens taking part in assemblies and demonstrations, which would not affect public health and be important for ensuring national security," Tang said.

Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen questioned at the meeting whether a protester would be considered guilty if wearing a mask during a demonstration or an assembly with a "peaceful manners to express opinions."

Tang responded that the government would hand a conviction after investigating "case by case" the protester’s intention and whether they have a "reasonable explanation."

"For example, if a person wears a mask similar to 'V for Vendetta' style, it won’t make sense to me that the person has 'reasonable intention,'" he said.

Under the face-covering prohibition, any offenders would face one year of imprisonment and a fine of HK$25,000.

According to Tang, a total of 75 people were accused of breaching the law, and 26 were sentenced from 10 days to eight months in jail after the law came into effect in October 2019.