Nicole Kidman's Quarantine-Free Stay in HK Sparks Anger

 

Kidman is in Hong Kong filming a TV series for Amazon

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman is in town filming a television series for Amazon called Expats and she really is living the glamorous expatriate life in Hong Kong.

She flew into Hong Kong from Sydney in a private jet and even got permission from the government to avoid having to quarantine, much to the shock of the rest of us who have had to suffer through the authorities' extreme measures of up to 21 days in quarantine to keep the Covid-19 virus out.

She was shopping in Cos, not in quarantine

The Australian celebrity was spotted in fashion boutique Cos -- which made people wonder why considering she is living in a residence up on the Peak for HK$650,000 (US$83,500) a month, and apparently staying until October.

When asked to explain why Kidman was already out and about two days after her arrival when she should have been in hotel quarantine for seven days, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau clarified today she was given permission to carry out "designated professional work... conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of Hong Kong's economy."

What about the rest of us? Are we not contributing to the local economy?

This privilege of avoiding quarantine came with other conditions, that Kidman take at least three Covid-19 tests in the first two weeks of her stay, submit an itinerary of her job activities, travel only point-to-point, and stay off public transport.

Oh guess we won't be seeing her on the MTR then.

A select few others get to avoid quarantine as well, such as top business executives and diplomats, subject to the approval of the Chief Secretary.

A complicated quarantine graphic shows Kidman free to go

On social media Kidman was criticized for taking advantage of these perks and living the high life while residents are literally trying to leave the city because of the repressive measures the government is imposing.

This is not the first time Kidman has been hit out for her living arrangements -- last year she and her husband Keith Urban came back to Sydney and didn't have to do quarantine in government quarters, but in the comfort of their holiday home with their two daughters.

So today Kidman is on par with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in terms of their popularity ratings. 

There's going to be lots more questions about this at Lam's Tuesday morning press conference...