Hong Kong Scraps Vaccine Pass, COVID-19 Tests For Travelers

Hong Kong will scrap some of its COVID-19 restrictions, including PCR tests for inbound travelers and vaccination requirements to enter certain venues, the city’s leader said Wednesday.

For most of the pandemic, Hong Kong has aligned itself with China’s “zero-COVID” strategy, requiring stringent COVID-19 tests and isolation for close contacts of infected cases as well as for incoming travelers.

But the mainland has relaxed measures in recent weeks, and Hong Kong is preparing for the January reopening of its border with China, which had previously imposed harsh restrictions and snap lockdowns to stamp out the virus.

“Our society as a whole has built an extensive and high-level barrier of immunity (to COVID-19),” said Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee at a news conference. Over 80% of the city has at least three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Close contacts of those who test positive for COVID-19 will also no longer need to isolate in Hong Kong, he said, and there will no longer be a limit on the number of diners per table at restaurants. The relaxed measures will take effect from Thursday.

Masks, however, will still need to be worn in public unless residents are exercising, as doing away with masks may lead to a surge in respiratory diseases like influenza just as Hong Kong faces a seasonal surge of flu cases, said Secretary of Health Lo Chung-mau at the news conference.

In September, Hong Kong did away with quarantine requirements for arriving travelers as it sought to boost tourism after over two years of entry restrictions.

Starting Jan. 8, China will no longer require inbound travelers to quarantine, authorities said earlier this week.

Hong Kong To Ease COVID-19 Restrictions As Infections Fall

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will ease some social distancing measures later this month, allowing people to dine in at restaurants in the evening and lifting restrictions on private gatherings, as the number of COVID-19 infections declined in recent weeks.

From April 21, restaurants will be able to operate until 10 p.m. with a maximum of four people per table, officials said Thursday.

Other businesses that were ordered to temporarily close due to Hong Kong’s fifth wave of infections, such as beauty parlors, gyms, theme parks and cinemas, will also be allowed to re-open, although capacity will be limited to 50%. Bars and pubs will remain closed.

Restrictions that currently only allow two households to gather will also be lifted.

“To relax these measures, to allow some degree of normal activities in society, with more interactions among citizens, inevitably they will come with some transmission risks,” Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said during a news conference Thursday.

Lam appealed to the public to comply with the social distancing measures that remain in place and to get vaccinated.

“While the number of positive cases reported every day has dropped to a relatively low level, in absolute terms they are still rather high,” she said.

The city reported 1,260 cases in the community on Wednesday, down more than 95% from the peak of the outbreak in March, when over 30,000 daily infections were reported.

Lam said the city is now “much, much better prepared” to handle another wave if it hits, due to increased levels of vaccination and more facilities to handle patients, such as community isolation and treatment centers.

Lam also said the government has not given up on mass testing for the city, but that timing was important.

Other restrictions will be also lifted later this month. Local tours will be allowed to resume and public gatherings of four people instead of two will also be permitted.

‘No-COVID’ Policy Drags On Hong Kong Economy As Cases Surge

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s Fung Shing Restaurant was bustling this week as customers came for one last taste of the traditional Cantonese dim sum that has made it famous.

With COVID-19 restrictions cutting too deeply into its bottom line, the restaurant will shut its doors for good on Sunday, another economic victim of the pandemic.

Many fear the worst is yet to come with Hong Kong experiencing its most severe outbreak, and fret the authorities’ determination to stick to mainland China’s “zero-tolerance” strategy may prevent it from recovering as a financial and travel hub.

“Even though maybe zero-COVID can be reached, there is still uncertainty on how long it can be maintained and what the cost is of maintaining it,” said Natixis senior economist Gary Ng.

“The biggest risk of in Hong Kong in 2022 is that it may be entering the path of basically, if not recession, at least a downward drag in economic growth again while the world begins to normalize,” Ng said.

Hong Kong has seen banks close branches and movie theaters have shut down. The streets of popular shopping and dining districts are lined with shops displaying “for rent” signs. Its international airport is nearly devoid of travelers.

A ban on onsite dining after 6 p.m., imposed last month, is depriving restaurants of critical dinner and banquet revenues.

Daily new coronavirus cases exceeded 2,000 for the first time on Monday; on Thursday, 6,116 new cases were reported.

Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed so the city is looking into converting hotels and even unoccupied public housing into quarantine areas. But it shows no sign of backing away from matching mainland China’s stringent policies even as the rest of the world learns to live with the coronavirus.

As part of its zero-tolerance strategy, China has locked down entire cities, literally keeping people sequestered in their homes and providing them with food and supplies as they are isolated during extensive testing and contact tracing to quell outbreaks.

But China has many cities. Hong Kong, a former British colony and semi-autonomous region of China, lacks the resources for such a complete lockdown, which would halt virtually all economic activity in the city of about 7.5 million.

And people living in Hong Kong, which was handed over to Communist-ruled China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” approach, are used to greater freedoms than residents of the mainland. Lockdowns of single buildings or city blocks have raised vehement criticism.

Regional rival Singapore faces a similar wave of coronavirus infections caused by the highly contagious omicron variant. But it has opted for a strategy of “living with COVID.” That calls for very high vaccination rates and widespread testing. Unlike Hong Kong, which is requiring people who test positive to quarantine in hospitals or other government facilities, Singapore lets COVID-19 patients with mild or no symptoms isolate at home.

So while Singapore’s health care system is not in jeopardy of becoming overwhelmed, Hong Kong hospitals are at 90% capacity and some have had to treat patients outdoors for lack of room inside.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam shows no sign of retreating from the “zero-COVID” stance, saying Thursday that fighting the pandemic is her “paramount task” and the city would “not be distracted by other things.”

“We will impose any measures that we should,” she said. “The aim is to make sure Hong Kong people’s lives and health are protected and to uphold Hong Kong’s stability.”

On Friday, Lam announced she was postponing the city’s election for chief executive for six weeks to May 8 due to “public health risks” it would pose at this stage in the pandemic. It’s not yet clear if Lam will run for reelection.

To relieve some pressure on hospitals, officials now say some patients with mild symptoms will be able to leave hospitals after just seven days — half the current requirement — if they test negative and are not living with any high-risk individuals.

At the current rate of spread of infections, new daily cases could rise to 28,000 by March, so it’s unclear that will be enough.

On the other hand, relaxing the zero-COVID strategy would hinder travel between the city and the mainland, where authorities require three weeks of quarantine or more. Beijing will not reopen Hong Kong’s border with the mainland until the city reaches and maintains zero COVID-19 cases.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said this week that Hong Kong’s “overriding task” is to get control of the situation. Some health experts from the mainland arrived Thursday to help with testing. Beijing also sent antibodies and other resources.

Customers at the Fung Shing Restaurant said they feel powerless.

“I feel so helpless for this restaurant under the pandemic,” said customer Mo Wan, a 78-year-old who has been a regular for the past decade. “I have established a deep friendship with the staff members.”

Up to 3,000 of Hong Kong’s 17,000 restaurants could end up closing if current restrictions continue through March, said Michael Leung, chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, which represents 800 restaurant owners.

Leung has temporarily shuttered his own restaurant, the Lucky Dragon Palace.

It’s a sprawling establishment that would normally seat 1,000 before the pandemic. Leung hopes to hold on, paying the rent and saving on labor and utilities until he can reopen.

“The pandemic is very serious, there’s barely anyone on the street,” he said. “With fewer people going out, it means no business for restaurants. This fifth wave really impacts us terribly. It’s really an ice age for the catering business.”

Hong Kong’s Zero-Covid Approach Meets Growing Frustration

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong residents expressed growing frustration Thursday after new, tighter coronavirus restrictions went into effect, imposed by city leaders in line with Beijing’s zero-COVID policy.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam ordered new strict measures to take effect Thursday as the highly-contagious omicron variant of the virus causes record daily cases.

That includes limiting public gatherings to two people and private ones to members of only two households. Places of worship, hair salons and other businesses were ordered to close.

Such measures are part of Hong Kong’s effort to align itself with mainland China’s “zero-COVID” policy, which aims to totally stamp out outbreaks, even as infection numbers continue to rise and other countries shift their approach to living with the virus.

Outside a vaccination center in the Sai Wan Ho area on Thursday, retiree Ken Wong waited in a long line to get his first shot so that he would qualify for a “vaccine pass” when it’s available.

“This is insane,” the 70-year-old said. “There is no way to reach zero cases. If we are going to achieve zero cases it would mean everyone’s wallet will become empty because a lot of people will be out of work and have no income.”

The latest measures will remain until at least Feb. 24, when the vaccine pass will be rolled out, allowing only vaccinated people to visit places like shopping malls and supermarkets.

Newly confirmed cases fell slightly on Thursday to under 1,000 after hitting a daily record 1,161 on Wednesday, Hong Kong health authorities reported. Overall, Hong Kong has seen only about 18,500 cases of COVID-19 and 215 deaths among its population of some 7.5 million.

Opponents of the zero-COVID approach contend that with nearly 65% of the population fully vaccinated and signs the omicron variant of the virus is less severe for those with some immunity, that it is time to change course.

“The government is having difficulties adopting a new strategy which will both align with mainland China but also serve the interests and adapt to the situation in Hong Kong,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor of political science at the Hong Kong Baptist University.

“Nothing can be decided without Beijing’s green light, and the local authorities don’t want to take any chance with that.”

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed over to communist-ruled China in 1997. Under the “one country, two systems” principle, the territory was to retain its own political, social and financial institutions for 50 years after being transferred from British rule.

But China has been tightening its control, stamping out political opposition and curtailing free speech. It imposed a sweeping National Security Law following anti-government protests in 2019, resulting in the imprisonment, intimidation and exile of most opposition voices.

There’s a practical reason for complying with zero-COVID policies — to facilitate travel between Hong Kong and the mainland under less stringent quarantine rules than the three weeks or more required of all foreigners arriving in the Chinese mainland.

Beijing will not let Hong Kong’s borders to the mainland be reopened unless the city reaches and maintains zero-COVID.

This week, Beijing officials and Chinese state media warned Hong Kong against any changes, saying that adopting a “living with the virus” policy would overwhelm its medical systems, the newspaper South China Morning Post reported.

In the upscale Discovery Bay neighborhood on mountainous Lantau island, home to many foreigners, all residents were ordered tested this week after authorities found traces of the virus in the sewage.

Sewage testing is a common practice in Hong Kong, but government demands for entire communities to be tested if the virus is detected are stretching the patience of residents enduring long lines at testing centers.

“The approach is obviously not working,” said Ivan Serrano, a 42-year-old from Spain who had just been tested with his son.

“We can see that other countries with different approaches — apparently the situation currently is better and here, it just got worse.”

Hong Kong Bans Flights, Imposes Other COVID-19 Restrictions

Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging omicron outbreak.

The two-week ban on passenger flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the United States will take effect Sunday and continue until Jan. 21.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also announced that restaurant dining will be forbidden after 6 p.m. for two weeks starting Friday. Game arcades, bars and beauty salons must also close during that period.
“We have to contain the pandemic to ensure that there will not be a major outbreak in the community again,” Lam said at a news conference, adding that the city is “on the verge” of another surge.

The measures came as new omicron clusters have emerged over the past week, many linked to several Cathay Pacific crew members who broke isolation rules and dined at restaurants and bars in the city before testing positive.

Hong Kong has reported 114 omicron variant cases as of Tuesday, with most being imported. On Tuesday, it reported its first untraceable case in nearly three months, which authorities said was likely caused by the omicron variant.

Hong Kong officials have moved swiftly to block the spread of the variant, locking down residential buildings where people have tested positive and mass-testing thousands of people.

That includes about 2,500 passengers who were being held Wednesday on a cruise ship in Hong Kong for coronavirus tests, after health authorities said nine passengers were linked to an omicron cluster and ordered the ship to turn back.

Authorities forced the Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas ship, which departed Sunday on a “cruise to nowhere,” to return a day early on Wednesday, according to a government statement.

The ship returned to Hong Kong on Wednesday morning and passengers were held onboard for most of the day while they awaited testing.

One passenger, Claudy Wong, said Royal Caribbean had tried its best to follow pandemic regulations.

“The pandemic has gone on for so long, actually passengers like us who board the cruise are already prepared for such situations to happen,” Wong said.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the nine guests were immediately isolated and all tested negative, and that the company was working closely with authorities to comply with epidemic prevention policies and regulations.

It said guests who were on the affected ship would receive a 25% refund on their cruise fare. The ship’s next sailing on Thursday was also canceled because the crew must undergo testing, and those guests will receive a full refund.

The city has reported a total of 12,690 confirmed coronavirus infections as of Tuesday, including 213 deaths.