More Severe Restrictions To Fight 5th Wave

A restaurant worker watches Lam detail the latest measures

The Hong Kong government has finally announced it will be implementing the vaccine passport from Thursday in restaurants in a bid to clamp down on the fifth wave of the pandemic, something that should have been instituted months ago to get people vaccinated.

Then from February 24, people must show their vaccination status on their LeaveHomeSafe app in order to enter shopping malls, supermarkets, wet markets, hair salons and religious venues. When the virus tampers down the vaccine pass will be extended to places like gyms, beauty parlours, swimming pools and cinemas.

4.30pm briefing gave more details to restrictions

People have until the end of April to get their first jab, then the end of June to get their second, and after that their booster. 

Why wasn't this implemented earlier like in the summer and early fall when we had zero cases? We wouldn't have 625 cases recorded today, 621 of which are local infections.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said many of the cases were a result of family gatherings during Chinese New Year, and so now only people from two different households can meet at home, though officials admitted there would be no police checks per se or court orders to search people's homes.

For restaurants that are type B or C they can only have two people per table, whereas at type D places where all staff are fully vaccinated, then four people can sit together. How they come up with these numbers is arbitrary. And perhaps another stinging regulation is that only two people can be together in a public place. How are families supposed to walk around then? It's all quite maddening.

I asked my cousin if his parents would finally get vaccinated, otherwise he will be burdened with the task of shopping for food for the family, and he's not exactly a food shopper. He admitted his parents will probably hold out as much as they can, but will eventually give in and get the jab, albeit reluctantly.

Lam said the infection numbers were shocking

For the last year or so I can't understand their stubbornness at not getting inoculated -- for their own protection.

Meanwhile my male colleagues were worried about not being able to get their hair cut and I advised them to do it tomorrow before the deadline on Thursday. I reminded them that hair salons would reopen by February 24, but that they would need to show their vaccine passport.

Sighs of relief all round.

The whole day was consumed with watching Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor this morning talk about how shocking the infection numbers were, and then finally hearing from her at 3.30pm what the measures would be. However she refused to give details and said those would be revealed at the 4.30pm press briefing with health officials that we all dutifully watched and took notes.

And to scare people even more, those who do not obey compulsory testing orders will be fined not the current HK$5,000, but HK$10,000. The government added another HK$26 billion in the anti-epidemic relief fund, which was passed by "patriots in power", but will that be enough to help everyone in dire straits?

We're back to dining restrictions from 2020

Residents in short-term employment will get a one-off HK$10,000 handout, while those on the pandemic frontline, such as cleaners, security guards and airport cargo workers will receive a monthly stipend of HK$2,000 for five months from February.

Sounds like peanuts again, but better than nothing.

Despite these measures, infectious disease experts say they might not be enough, and that the vaccine pass may need to be implemented for public transport. How will people ever get onto the MTR on time if that's the case? Imagine all the arguments people would have with bus drivers and mini bus drivers? 

Everyone is so stressed as it is, and these latest social-distancing restrictions pile on more doom and gloom to the situation that seems to never end.

It's going to be a long February even though it's the shortest month of the year.

The quote of the day goes to Lam who misspoke a common expression. Instead of saying "killing two birds with one stone", she said: "Killing two stones with one bird".

That's one strong bird.