Coronavirus Cases Continue to Surge

Carrie Lam with Sophia Chan announcing new restrictions

 

We can thank tai tais for the fourth wave of the coronavirus. There are over 180 cases linked to dance clubs, 21 place spread all over the city. Avid dancers don't just go to one location, and even the dancing companions will also move around the different clubs to dance with middle-aged women.

There are videos going around of these people dancing maskless and in very close proximity to each other which is shocking to see and one wonders why these people are not worried at all.

One dance cluster was at this Wan Chai club

Despite the surge in cases, the government has not ordered these dance clubs to close, and instead is forcing bars, pubs, night clubs, party rooms and saunas to close from Thursday for at least a week.

Meanwhile restaurants, including those in hotels, will be limited to only serving a maximum of 40 customers, as they will only be allowed to have 10 tables, with at most four diners per table. 

The bar industry was infuriated by the latest announcement, as the latest cases did not stem from bars and pubs, and yet it was being punished -- again.

"It's very unfair. We are in a very passive position, because no matter what we do... we have executed all the measures and also followed closely every single regulation, but we are still the one to blame," said Anthea Cheung, director of the Lan Kwai Fong Association.

Bars in Lan Kwai Fong will shut again

"We are getting ready for the promotion of Christmas. Maybe 50 percent of our outlets will close [down] because it's our high season where we get most of our revenue from."

Meanwhile gyms have escaped further restrictions this time around, though it could only be a matter of time before they are closed as well. 

In a bid to help make contact tracing easier, the government has developed the "Leave Home Safe" app, where people can "check-in" at over 10,000 establishments in the city by scanning a QR code when they go in, and then when they leave, they can register that they have left the premises. 

Not only does it track where people have been, but can also alert them if someone else tested positive was in the vicinity at the same time as the user.

People can track where they've been with an app

A reporter found some of the QR codes were easy to find, others were hidden in obscure areas of buildings. While the government says downloading the app and using it is voluntary, it kind of defeats the purpose if not everyone uses it...

However, if things get worse, the government may make using the app mandatory -- just like taking one's temperature before going in, scanning the code may be too.

In the meantime the government should really examine its restrictions and shut down dance clubs for now. 

As most of the patrons are tai tais, they have infected other posh locations, like the two clubhouses at the Happy Valley racetrack, Hong Kong Club, Ladies Recreation Club, and Hong Kong Cricket Club.

So much for staying away from the plebeians -- these tai tais have infected their members-only hangouts and will probably be socially shunned later.

Oh the horror!

A Quick Visit to Tai Kwun

One of the two courtyards in Tai Kwun that gives a wonderful spacious area

The other day I had a bit of time and was near the newest landmark in Hong Kong -- Tai Kwun (大馆), or the former Central Police Station and had a quick look around.

The beautiful staircase that everyone has photographed

Many people have posted pictures on social media already, particularly the spiral staircase and the stairs where it says "Mind the Step" at each step... a bit tedious one might say.

Tai Kwun has been a long time coming. It was closed in 2006 and then the public got a chance to look at it before it was renovated in 2008 in a partnership between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong government, but nothing happened for a long time; perhaps behind the scenes there was a lot of assessment that had to be done in terms of the buildings' stability and condition.

And then in May 2016 one of the retaining walls suddenly collapsed that set back the project another year or so. Meanwhile as a passerby, the construction site was wrapped up in white and for a long time we couldn't see any progress.

The second courtyard with a Herzog & de Meuron building

But finally a few months ago Tai Kwun opened its doors. Much of the original buildings have been retained, and there are two modern additions to the compound, futuristic buildings designed by Herzog & de Meuron, who you may remember designed the Bird's Nest in Beijing.

The Central Police Station was first built in 1841, and it's a huge complex that has two giant courtyards with trees, making it quite a nice setting. However the jail cells -- you can see some of them -- seem quite tiny, and prisoners were physically tortured. They couldn't even use the toilet -- only a bucket, and another bucket of fresh water.

You can access Tai Kwun from the Mid-Levels escalator

Some of the spaces in the buildings have been converted into cafes and restaurants, while the larger spaces are for art exhibitions by local artists. However we prefer admiring the architecture. There's a lot of concrete but also wood, and the compound is pretty much in tact, leaving the massive courtyards free for people to wander and feel enveloped by the space.

I have yet to try the restaurants and bars here, but it would be quite neat to dine here and see what the atmosphere is like in the evening.

Meanwhile I have heard from people who live and work in the area are so glad Tai Kwun is open because the scaffolding around it made the area congested and now there are more options for pedestrians to get around Wyndham Street.

One of the tiny jail cells in Tai Kwun

I will have to come back another time to look at Tai Kwun again more closely, but it's a nice way to spend even 20 minutes wandering around and admiring our latest landmark in the city.

Taking a Chance on Hainan

Tourists in Hainan will soon have horse racing to play along with surf and sand

The Chinese government is keen on developing Hainan into more than just "China's Hawaii" -- it's going to add horse racing and lotteries to the mix of entertainment that seems to be welcome news in the region.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said in a statement that while "there has not been any discussion" so far with the Hainan authorities, but it would be pleased to exchange views on the promotion of equine sports there, if invited.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club welcomed the latest news

"The club is aware of the news reports that... the State Council... supports Hainan province developing equine sports," the club said.

Late on Saturday night the guidelines were released, a day after Xi Jinping announced plans to develop Hainan to have more economic freedom and greater market access.

While Beijing bans all kinds of gambling, it allows two types of lotteries, including one where punters predict the outcomes of international football [soccer] matches. It also allows horse racing but not betting. Sounds like an oxymoron, but that may change soon.

Since the 1990s there were attempts to get horse racing off the ground in China, with proposals in Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. In 1992 a race course opened in Guangzhou, but was closed seven years later as an "unsatisfactory experiment".

Hainan's development will not impact Macau too much

Meanwhile analysts in Hong Kong believe this latest development will not impact Macau much, as the former Portuguese enclave has a fully developed industry that includes entertainment, conventions and exhibitions.

Hong Kong legislator Yiu Si-wing from the tourism sector believes the city can benefit from tourists who get a resort atmosphere from Hainan, and then the international city experience from Hong Kong.

With the central government's blessing, horse racing will happen soon -- but can you bet on it? Hard to say.