HK Restarts Extreme Quarantine Measures

Lam said today the measures were to prevent another outbreak

 

People in Hong Kong are gutted the government is changing the quarantine rules from seven days to 14 after a fully vaccinated domestic helper was found to be infectious in the community beyond the seven-day quarantine with the highly infectious Delta variant.

Those who are already traveling in what are now deemed medium-risk countries will have to scramble to extend their hotel quarantine stay to 14 days, and another seven days at home.

Dr Yuen says three in quarantine have same virus

And it doesn't matter if you've been vaccinated and have a positive antibody test.

Government pandemic adviser Dr Yuen Kwok-yung says the helper could have been infected by a couple staying in the same quarantine hotel, the Dorsett Wan Chai, as they were staying opposite to the helper and all three have the same genome sequencing.

There are concerns the couple left the window open in their room, which allowed the contaminated air to flow out of their room. Yuen added the air flow in the two rooms was not up to standard.

While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor says the changes are being made to prevent the city from having another outbreak, some feel Hong Kong's fearful approach to the virus is wrong and isolationist.

They all stayed at the Dorsett Wan Chai

They feel that the city has had a vaccination program running for months now and there is no excuse for people not to get inoculated from Covid-19, and that the authorities should stop protecting those who are not vaccinated at the expense of those who have gotten the jab.

In addition, with vaccines available, people abroad who have been inoculated should be able to enter Hong Kong.

With today's news and China still trying to stamp out infections with its zero-case policy, there are predictions the mainland may not open its borders with Hong Kong until the end of next year.

It is possible more people will leave, in particular expats who, while they are grateful to live in a safe city like Hong Kong, they have had enough of the extremely quarantine and social-distancing measures and want to go home and see their loved ones. 

Some argue residents should be allowed into HK

They feel not having seen their family for almost two years is too much, and those with young children or about to retire and throwing in the towel and moving out.

In the meantime Hong Kong's economy is going to continue to sputter along, as it is so dependent on mainlanders coming in to shop, dine and buy property.

How much longer the city can survive like this is hard to say...