HKG-SIN Travel Corridor Further From Reach

The chances of visiting Singapore are even more distant now

The long-awaited Hong Kong-Singapore "travel corridor" -- instead of bubble, in the hopes it will bring better luck -- looks even more distant now, as the Lion City has decided to pursue a different strategy from Hong Kong when it comes to dealing with Covid-19.

Singapore plans to allow quarantine-free travel and large gatherings, and even potentially halt massive contact-tracing operations and daily case counts as the number of vaccinations rises. As of Sunday 38 percent of the city state's population have been fully vaccinated, with the goal of reaching two-thirds by early August.

Lam says Singapore side needs to be vacinated

This is in contrast to Hong Kong which is aiming for zero infections and its painfully slow uptake in vaccinations. Currently its inoculation rate stands at 22 percent fully vaccinated, 32.6 percent with one jab.

The divergent paths has led to Hong Kong officials and health experts pondering if this bilateral travel corridor is still a good idea, even though Singapore is high on the list of preferred destinations.

While almost all of Hong Kong's recent infections have been imported, University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung warned on Monday that Singapore's plans for reopening could leave Hong Kong exposed to a higher risk of variant strains if and when the long-delayed travel bubble was finally launched.

Hong Kong has a slow uptake in vaccines

Today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said both governments may need to consider if participants of the travel corridor should be vaccinated as part of the requirement for participating in the travel bubble. Hong Kong had already required its residents to be fully vaccinated to take part.

One would have thought that was one of the first requirements, no?

The travel bubble -- I mean travel corridor -- has been delayed twice, last November and then in May this year.

However, with the fear of variants on the loose and Singapore not on the same page as Hong Kong in stamping out infections, one wonders if this travel corridor is ever going to happen.

Dr Ho is concerned about variants coming to HK

Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Society of IATA Passenger Agents, a coalition of the largest travel agents in Hong Kong, agreed the advantages of the Singapore travel bubble would pale in comparison to those similar arrangements with the mainland and Macau. He also predicted the travel corridor with Singapore will not start anytime soon.

"We still haven't sealed the deal with Macau and the mainland," he said. "[Under the new measures], if we start the travel bubble with Singapore, we will bear a big risk."

There is still no end to this pandemic in Hong Kong...