HONG KONG - Hundreds of parked tour buses are gathering dust at a northern Hong Kong container port, having been off the road for 10 months since authorities banned non-resident arrivals into the city due to the new coronavirus.
"If they cannot see any light ahead of them, they will just stop and cut their losses," said 70-year-old Mr Yip, who has worked in the trade for nearly 50 years. Mainland Chinese visitors typically spend more per day than the average resident on baby formula, cosmetics and luxury goods, driven by a perception that Hong Kong has better quality standards than at home.
The arrangement lets travellers forgo quarantine, but is initially limited to one daily flight of only 200 passengers each way. That is a drop in the ocean for Hong Kong, which set its own record in January 2019 with 6.8 million visitors, including 5.5 million from mainland China.
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Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble: ‘mid-May’ target for long-awaited deal amid coronavirus pandemicA long-awaited Covid-19 travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore could be up by as early as mid-May, three sources have told the Post, kicking off a second attempt to revive quarantine-free tourism between the two major Asian financial hubs. The exact launch date is still considered a “moving target”, according to those familiar with the discussions. One of the sources said mid-May was the timeline authorities were working towards, but added it was still premature to disclose the new conditions. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines will be the first two carriers to launch the bubble, as previously planned. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor earlier this week insisted city residents had to be vaccinated before flying to Singapore under the bubble, though there is no similar requirement made as yet by the other side. The insistence on vaccinations could limit the number of people immediately eligible to fly, depending on requirements for inoculation. It could also serve as an incentive for those keen to travel outside Hong Kong. “The requirement will protect Hong Kong residents from infection when travelling abroad,” a source said. “Therefore, Hongkongers who want to join the air travel bubble will need to be vaccinated now.” Battered travel industry calls for mutual recognition of vaccines as bubble hopes soar As of Wednesday, just 4.2 per cent – 318,700 people – of the city’s population had received a second dose, with 8.4 per cent of residents having got their first jab. However, the proportion of fully vaccinated people falls to just 0.6 per cent when taking into account the government’s definition of 14 days following the second dose. According to official data up to March 31, those who are fully vac
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Coronavirus: quarantined Hong Kong residents question why vaccination made no differenceSome fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents now in mandatory quarantine for three weeks after a mutated coronavirus variant was discovered in their housing block are questioning why they have not been exempted from the measure after testing negative. Residents of Caribbean Coast in Tung Chung who spoke to the Post also suggested that home quarantine would have been preferable, while others expressed dismay over the arrangements at the government’s facility in Penny’s Bay. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday told reporters the city was investigating whether those with two jabs might be subjected to shorter isolation periods in cases involving the new strains.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. I used to be one of the guys telling people to go get vaccinated. But now if you ask me, after what has happened, I wouldn’t tell them to take it or not to take it. I just won’t care any more Vaccinated resident now in mandatory quarantine In the city’s biggest such quarantine operation to date, 1,027 occupants of Tower 11 of the development’s Carmel Cove estate were evacuated on Thursday night after a 39-year-old domestic helper living in the building tested positive for the N501Y and E484K mutations. A 10-month-old baby she took care of was also confirmed to have tested positive. Both mutations were found in more infectious strains first identified in South Africa and Brazil, and experts suggested there could be transmission links between the helper and a 29-year-old man visiting from Dubai who was the first variant case detected in the city. But some of those swept up in the precautionary operation are now questioning why their fully vaccinated status made no difference in determining if isolation was necessary. “Why am I being vaccinated if I
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Hong Kong shortens coronavirus quarantine for vaccinated residents
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Coronavirus: Hong Kong faces 82 more cases, day after Carrie Lam unveiled ‘zero infections’ targetHong Kong is expected to log 82 new coronavirus cases, a day after the city leader unveiled an ambitious “zero infections” target in her annual policy address.If the medical source’s figure is made official on Thursday, it will be the third straight day of 80 or more confirmed infections.The city reported 85 such cases on Wednesday, the highest daily increase in more than three months. Some 63 of those were tied to a ballooning dance club outbreak, the city’s largest Covid-19 cluster to date with 250 cases.Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the government would “spare no effort in achieving zero infections”, an aim she said could not be achieved without public cooperation.But Lam later sought to play down the ambitious target, telling an afternoon press conference that she mentioned it in her address to try and reassure the public.“The definition of ‘zero infection’ depends on who you ask,” she said. ‘Zero infection’ unlikely without drastic action to curb Covid-19Experts have questioned whether Hong Kong could achieve this goal without imposing a tough lockdown or drastic testing measures.Alluding to the return of “large-scale universal community testing”, the city’s leader admitted mandatory testing on the whole population would require a month-long citywide lockdown, something residents were unlikely to accept.She said she would not rule out partial lockdown if there was an outbreak in a district or involving a particular group of people.The city has recorded 5,866 confirmed infections so far, with 108 related deaths. More than 340 people are still in hospital with Covid-19.More to follow ...More from South China Morning Post: * ‘Zero infection’ unlikely in Hong Kong without drastic action to curb fourth wave of coronavirus, experts say * Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader sets out target of zero infectio
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Hong Kong sees 'new wave' of coronavirus cases, more students asked to stay homeAuthorities will halt in-person classes for primary school levels 1-3 for two weeks, starting Nov 23.. Read more at straitstimes.com. 😭
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