Carrie Lam on the Defensive

Lam speaking at her daily press briefing today

While the tide is turning for the better day by day in the pandemic, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is getting a political raking over the coals, particularly from the pro-establishment who have been backing her all along, but now are questioning how she intends to wrestle the fifth wave of the pandemic down for good.

The numbers are looking better today -- 8,035 cases, and 151 deaths (of which 130 are from the past 24 hours, 21 backlogged) -- but Lam has backtracked or flip-flopped, or U-turned on many decisions that has made the pro-Beijing camp frustrated that she doesn't seem to have people or the economy's interests at heart.

Businesses have had a difficult time with Covid-19

It has been reported Lam will face a grilling tomorrow by lawmakers on her pandemic policies. 

Everyone get out the popcorn...

But one can expect Lam to be on the defensive and strongly so, swatting away any annoying accusations with pithy statements that raise eyebrows.

One example is in recent days, Bernard Chan, convenor of the Executive Council, Lam's de facto cabinet, conceded many multinational companies that had used Hong Kong as their Asian base have already moved to rival cities like Singapore and Dubai, and the chances of them returning were slim, unless the Greater China market was their focus.

"If they had moved to other places such as Dubai and Singapore for a while, their chances of moving back are significantly lower because moving back will be quite a complicated process," he said. "I think we cannot stick to the [current] quarantine arrangement for a long time."

When a reporter asked Lam about Chan's comments, she said:

Chan says multinationals have left Hong Kong

"I can tell you that although he is ExCo Convenor, he is expressing his personal views. Because there are so many people with so many views on this anti-epidemic issue, especially about Hong Kong being an international city, whether we should open up more, whether we should be worried about people leaving Hong Kong. The more authoritative stance could come only from me and the Hong Kong SAR government," she replied.

Ouch. 

"I would advise that you only treat Mr Chan's views as his personal views, especially as he comes from the financial sector, certainly his view will be influenced by his colleagues and peers in the financial sector," Lam continued. 

"But at the end of the day, as I said, our ultimate objective for Hong Kong is to suppress the fifth wave as soon as possible and then we would aim to resume some travel into the mainland and preferably also with overseas so that business could resume and the economy could bounce back."

Many firms have moved to Singapore and Dubai

Chan is pointing out the fact that many multinational companies have moved out of Hong Kong and may never come back. How is that a personal view? There have already been many articles written about this, how 50 per cent of European companies are planning to leave the city or only have a smaller presence.

Businesses cannot wait for Hong Kong to open up anymore. Lam is dreaming if she thinks the city's economy will just bounce back to what it was before.

Lam seems to have no idea what is really going on, as she is so focused on fulfilling Beijing's expectations, or tired of hearing other people's opinions of how things could be done better.

They are only trying to help...

Tale of Two Cities

Singapore will soon scrap the outdoor mask mandate

Hong Kong and Singapore have always been rival cities. When the pandemic hit, the virus looked out of control in the Lion City, while Hong Kong shut down its borders and imposed strict quarantines.

But today over two years later, the two metropolises have gone completely different directions in their response to Covid-19 and the contrast could not be more stark.

Lee made the happy announcement today

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is still imposing strict social-distancing measures on residents, and expecting them to report positive Covid-19 tests that will result in them being sent to jail-like isolation quarters. While the flight ban on nine countries will be lifted on April 1 and travellers will only need to hotel quarantine for seven days, they will still need to self-monitor and have a final test on the 12th day to confirm they are indeed negative.

Across the pond, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that the outdoor mask mandate would be scrapped, fully vaccinated travellers could enter the city state quarantine-free, and his government was working towards a full resumption of air and land travel with its neighbour, Malaysia.

Singapore is obviously moving towards "living with Covid", compared to Hong Kong's "dynamic zero Covid", where we are still not sure what "dynamic" means.

Nevertheless, Lam was on the defensive today when asked if Hong Kong would follow Singapore's lead.

Lam is still pursuing "dynamic zero Covid" policy

"As I've also said on many occasions, the policies and measures to be adopted by each government in combating the Covid-19 epidemic will differ. I don't think that there's one size that fits all. I also don't believe that there are only two pathways," she said.

"That's why I said that perhaps it's not meaningful to ask us to choose whether we're going for route A or route B."

So does she mean there's a third or fourth pathway?

Lam also refused to be drawn into the debate as to whether Singapore had snatched the title of "Asia's global hub" from Hong Kong.

She argued Hong Kong remained an attractive financial centre and aviation base, as well as "a good place to live and work".

Perhaps before the coronavirus pandemic erupted in January 2020?

Children playing outdoors must wear a mask

It's 2022 and Hong Kong is struggling to survive economically. Bloomberg has released a report saying nearly 50 percent of European firms intend to either fully relocate staff out of the city or partially as a direct result of the draconian Covid-19 restrictions.

But Lam seems to think people and companies are still patiently waiting.

"I remain very optimistic that once this wave subsides, we'll pick up on the earlier discussions [on reopening the mainland border], and at the same time we'll be able to open up to the rest of the world," she said.

The rest of the world has moved on, Carrie... Hong Kong has already been long forgotten...

Today the city recorded 13,074 cases, of which 7,342 were from rapid antigen tests. Another 201 deaths were logged, including 42 backlogged. There are now over 1.1 million Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong and 6,770 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Covid-19 May Have Peaked, Though Wait and See

Has Covid-19 peaked in this wave? May be too early to tell

Hong Kong may indeed have seen a turning point in the fifth wave of the pandemic, as the number of cases are starting to drop, but health officials warn people to continue to be vigilant and see what the situation is like in the next few days.

Today 31,392 cases were recorded, of which 24,380 were from PCR tests, 7,012 from RAT (rapid antigen test). 

However the number of deaths is still high at 281, of which 180 are new, 101 are backlogged. Of the 180 deaths, the age range is 47 to 112 years old and 122 were not vaccinated. Sound familiar? It's sad to hear someone 112 died because they were not jabbed, after all they have gone through.

Au can finally get a haircut with salons reopened

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection says the wave may have peaked between March 2-4 when cases were over the 50,000 mark, and now are starting to drop.

"The RAT daily caseload seems to be steady and not increasing. We're starting to see a drop too, so this is positive and it seems there is a chance the numbers will go down. But the public should not let their guard down," Au said.

"The public have worked hard over the past two months to follow social-distancing rules and ramped-up testing. We hope they will continue to follow these measures to further cut off transmission chains so the numbers can keep falling."

He warned people not to be too optimistic because the case numbers were still in the five-figure range could rebound if they were not vigilant.

Government pandemic advisor David Hui Shu-cheong agreed, adding the situation needed to be observed for another week before coming to any conclusions.

Hui admits people not reporting positive results

"The number of positive PCR test results is indeed dropping, but a number of the public have used RAT and authorities told those who tested positive from February 26 to report it within two weeks. Many of them have not done so. Also, many of my friends and relatives chose not to submit their results," he said.

Telling admission from Hui, who is revealing how many people feel about catching Covid-19 and not wanting the authorities to know in case they will be dragged to isolation centres where they have heard horror stories of hygiene and not being allowed out immediately once they are confirmed negative.

However Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned that residents who refuse to go to an isolation centre would face a HK$5,000 (US$639) fine and two months' imprisonment, while those who left such facilities during quarantine could also face a HK$5,000 fine and six months behind bars.

So where is the incentive to willingly report that you're infected?

Currently about 18,800 rooms for isolation are being used, about 40 percent.

This afternoon a woman I met a few months ago forwarded a voice message to me. It wasn't her voice, but a man explaining how to treat Omicron with Chinese medicine. He explained the Lianhua Qingwen capsules were effective -- but even more so when removing the powdered medicine from the capsules and swallowing it directly to make them even more effective.

This herbal medicine does not cure Covid-19

This is so bizarre, first of all Lianhua Qingwen is not considered a viable medication to fight Covid-19. The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority released a notice from last November stating there is not scientific evidence that any herbal product, including Lianhua Qingwen can be used to prevent or treat Covid-19.

In addition, when capsules are swallowed, they dissolve quickly anyway -- how is swallowing powdered herbal medicine going to treat someone even faster? It was a ridiculous suggestion and for it to be spread through Whatsapp is irresponsible too.

But here we are, still spreading misinformation and disinformation in the third year of the pandemic.

Either way, people are figuring out how to treat Covid-19 in their own way to avoid isolation as much as possible!

 

Here We Go Again

Today Lam announced tough measures to contain Omicron

Hong Kong is on the cusp of the fifth wave with several local cases of Omicron in the community, and the government has clamped down hard with some severe measures. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held the 3.30pm press conference that the entire city tuned in to hear and it was bad news.

From midnight January 7-20, all restaurants must close by 6pm until 5am, and depending on if it is a B, C, or D restaurant, there will be two, four and six people per table respectively. Large gatherings of any kind are banned, bars, venues with live music, karaoke, dancing, gyms, swimming pools, gaming arcades, government-run leisure buildings are all shut for two weeks.

In addition all "cruises to no where", local tours are banned, as well as visits to elderly homes and hospitals, mahjong parlours and cinemas.

Nine on this cruise ship are a possible cluster

Hardly anyone will be able to enter Hong Kong, as eight countries have been banned from returning to the city from January 8 for two weeks: Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the US and UK, including via transit. 

My colleagues were in a bitter mood when they heard the news. One joked he was doing "Dry January" anyway -- where he had stopped drinking for a month to give his liver a break. Another was more sanguine, saying Hong Kong International Airport's third runway could be used to build a quarantine camp since there were no more flights coming and going. Golf carts would be needed to get around...

While Lam hoped these strict measures will help contain the virus in time for Chinese New Year, after having been through this so many times, Hongkongers are not holding their breath. It could be months before Omicron is contained.

It also demonstrates the Zero-Covid strategy is practically impossible to achieve -- there needs to be an increase in the number of vaccinations and an acceptance of the reality that the virus will continue to be in the community one way or another.

Events like the Cyclothon is cancelled 

One piece of good news was that just over 50 percent of all seniors in Hong Kong have had at least one jab, though that means some 593,000 over 70 years of age have yet to be vaccinated.

That compares to 38,000 seniors in Singapore yet to be inoculated, which has a population of 5.6 million.

The other bit of relief for parents was that schooling has not been affected -- yet -- as Lam hoped to avoid as little disruption to classes as much as possible. 

She said the tough measures would be reviewed again on January 14 to see how well they were working or if even harsher measures needed to be adopted.

Health experts believe there could be up to 10 transmission chains already in the community. The cluster at Moon Palace restaurant has grown to six, and another cluster of nine people on board a cruise ship with 2,500 people; the ship had to turn around and come back a day earlier. There is also a possible dancing cluster -- again...

Restaurants must close by 6pm again

Meanwhile there are very long lines at vaccination centres to get either the first, second or third jab.

The government was caught flat-footed in anticipating demand for vaccines. Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen will be questioned for sure on why the government has not prepared for the onslaught of people wanting to get jabbed. 

In the meantime people are disappointed 2022 has already started badly and wonder will happen in the next 360 days...

Expert Says HK Should Reopen with Higher Vaccination

Yuen says HK vaccination rate needs to be over 90 percent

Finally a prominent infectious disease expert is saying the zero-Covid strategy is unsustainable and we need to live with the coronavirus to get Hong Kong's economy up and moving again.

Dr Yuen Kwok-yuen said it's time to boost the vaccination rate -- up to over 90 percent and introduce vaccine passports as an incentive to get people jabbed. And it's possible the elderly death rate may spike because the virus will be in the community.

"If you announce the policy now, by March everyone should have received two doses. People cannot go to work or school if they're unvaccinated," he said, adding that Hong Kong could gradually resume international travel when its vaccination rate exceeds 90 percent.

People need to resume their lives, Yuen said

If so, by next summer the SAR could fully reopen if 99 percent of its residents have been triple-jabbed.

Yuen also warned there would inevitably be a "transitional period" of more than two months that would see a surge in deaths and infections, which has happened in other parts of the world, including Singapore.

He said the virus would spread among unvaccinated elderly people here after the resumption of international travel, which Yuen estimated to be 1,000 deaths or more. Hence the need to get the jab now.

But he stressed this is a phase the city must go through after reopening, adding it's best for it to happen in the summer when infections tend to be less serious.

Yuen said the government should act now or it would miss an important opportunity for people to resume normal lives.

There will be more deaths if not enough jabbed

The microbiologist also said the emergence of the Omicron variant was a chance for Hong Kong to reopen to the world, as the symptoms of vaccinated people would mostly be mild, even if they are infected (and are fully vaccinated).

He expressed hope that with such a plan, life in Hong Kong would resume to normal by the end of the year. 

As one of the government's expert advisors, Yuen is sticking his neck out for the rest of us by strongly suggesting we live with Covid like the rest of the world. What he says goes completely against Beijing's and Hong Kong's strategy, but it's realistic. We cannot keep living in a bubble forever.

Wonder how the government will react. So far, silence...

Singapore's Opening -- Any Takers?

The Lion City is welcoming visitors from HK and Macau

 

Just as the travel bubble or corridor between Hong Kong and Singapore was officially dead, the Lion City announced it would receive visitors from Hong Kong and Macau without quarantine from August 26.

It is part of a months-old scheme Singapore has with China, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Iswaran says two cities have different strategies

Singapore residents, permanent residents and long-term pass holders arriving from Hong Kong and Macau can go back home as early as Saturday. 

Travelers from Hong Kong and Macau don't even need to be vaccinated, and only need to have a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test. However, they would still need to quarantine upon their return to their respective cities.

The travel bubble was pronounced dead according to Singapore transport minister S. Iswaran, as both cities' pandemic strategies differed, "with Singapore now taking steps towards becoming a Covid-resilient nation".

Meanwhile Hong Kong, following Beijing's lead, is trying to keep it at zero Covid-19 cases, which many, including the international business community in Hong Kong are clamouring is unrealistic and makes it another reason to move operations elsewhere.

Can HK really reach zero Covid-19 cases?

So... anyone in Hong Kong rushing to buy tickets to go to Singapore?

Didn't think so...

The Exodus Continues

This is a common and sad scene at the airport these days

This morning there was news of not another arrest, but of more people and groups leaving Hong Kong.

One well known columnist, editor, author and businessman, Steve Vines wrote an email to friends and ex-colleagues that he had left for the UK, as it had become unsafe for him to continue living in the city.

"The white terror sweeping through Hong Kong is far from over and the near-term prospects of things getting better are simply non-existent," he wrote.

Vines revealed he had already arrived in the UK

"Hong Kong is now in a very dark place as the Chinese dictatorship has slashed and burned its way through the tattered remains of the One Country, Two Systems concept."

Last month public broadcaster RTHK axed his show, "The Pulse", and in April he was dropped as a regular contributor to an RTHK morning radio show. Several months ago he also stopped writing regular columns for the South China Morning Post.

Vines left Hong Kong after living here for 35 years with a "heavy heart and a mixture of enormous regret and relief". He was the founding editor and publisher of three newspapers and magazines, including the long ago defunct Eastern Express.

What made Vines leave was apparently a warning he received through a third party from pro-Beijing figures in the city.

"[The person] said quite aggressively... 'you better watch your step, we're coming for you'."

Another well known person is artist Kacey Wong, who revealed on social media that he had settled in Taiwan where he could enjoy "100 percent freedom".

Wong was known for his protest performance art

"When you received this letter, I have already left. Leaving is not easy, staying is also difficult. 

"We have known each other for 51 years, I will not forget you. Let's treasure each other, goodbye Hong Kong," he wrote on Facebook. 

"We'll meet again. Don't know where, don't know when," he sang a rendition of the song by Vera Lynn that was popular during World War II.

Wong, 51, an architecture graduate from Cornell University, was a fixture at the annual July 1 protests. Along the route he did performance art, like playing the accordion in a cage, a giant menacing cardboard robot, and riding in a giant pink army tank.

He is also known for his art that is social commentary, particularly around the housing wealth gap and thinking of creative (and absurd) ways people have to put a roof over their heads.

Then it's not just individuals leaving, but even a news organization.

Digital news outlet Initium Media published a letter to its readers today explaining it will move its operations to Singapore. 

Digital news outlet said it will move to Singapore

Initium's executive director, Susie Wu said, "the road to freedom" had become more and more difficult over the past six years since the outlet's launch, with the world becoming more divided, and Hong Kong's global press freedom ranking plummeting.

She said the media organization will make use of online and decentralized methods to produce content, and continue to provide in-depth reporting on Greater China and global developments.

"Do not despair in hardships, do not give up exploring and changing, because the heart is free, and the values you and I believe in will not be easily broken," Wu told readers.

The news outlet started in 2015 and provides in-depth news, opinion and lifestyle to 60,000 readers in more than 200 countries and regions.

But now Initium needs to implement its plan B and like people emigrating to other countries, the news organization is following suit...

Pandemic Woes Continue

Interesting vaccination loopholes pop up as incidents happen

 A few months ago it was discovered that people in Hong Kong signed up to get vaccinated in one place but showed up at another (and got a different vaccine).

This man went to the wrong centre and wrong jab

Now there's a case of a 30-year-old Singaporean man who was inoculated with the Moderna vaccine in his home state, came back to Hong Kong where he works and got two BioNTech jabs so that he could have a local record of being vaccinated in order to go to bars.

Hong Kong authorities have warned they may prosecute the man for his "extremely selfish and irresponsible" behaviour.

Health experts also believe getting four jabs is excessive and could have harmed his health. The incident also revealed a loophole that healthcare workers at the vaccination centre did not ask if he was inoculated overseas. 

Are you ready for pandemic traveling to Europe?

But why would anyone think to ask that question when the vast majority of people have not left Hong Kong in over a year and a half?

There were also concerns that those to administered the jab to him would be in trouble for wasting vaccine resources. This is also excessive, considering there are more than enough vaccines going around since many people still don't want the jab.

It's a curious case and crazy desperation on the Singaporean's part to have a drink in a bar.

Meanwhile there are some people who are so desperate to travel now that a small tour group has flown to Europe with a tour guide. They all did the requisite antibody test and will be in hotel quarantine when they arrive back in Hong Kong.

A small Hong Kong tour group flew to Europe

"It's the first tour package we have had since late February last year when the coronavirus pandemic spread, and borders closed everywhere," said Miramar Travel general manager Alex Lee Chun-ting.

He said the company received more than 30 inquiries over the past few days on arranging private travel plans.

"After being stuck in Hong Kong for more than a year, many avid travellers are itching to get out," Lee said. "But now they're looking for experiences away from city centres, they want to stay in boutique hotels instead of chain hotels, and they also want to be closer to nature."

Tours advertised on the Miramar Travel website are priced from HK$12,000 to HK$23,500 (US$1,545-US$3,035) -- about 30 percent more than usual and visiting Germany, Italy and the UK.

Travelers are interested in being closer to nature

However Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory medicine specialist, urged Hongkongers to avoid leisure travel as the Delta variant had spread across Europe, Britain the United States and Southeast Asia, warning returnees may bring the mutation into Hong Kong.

"Based on how the Delta variant has spread, we can't determine the countries which adopted a 'live with the virus' approach have been successful at this point," he said.

Indeed.

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... 

Central Post Office's Days are Numbered

The Post Office in Central will most probably be demolished

 

The General Post Office in Hong Kong's Central district may face the wrecking ball soon.

The government is putting out a tender for developers to use the land the post office is on as well as a giant patch of land north of it that could be worth HK$40 billion (US$5.12 billion) to HK$60 billion.

The previous GPO was knocked down in 1976

However, for many people, the GPO is a building worth saving, as they are tired and frustrated of seeing old buildings knocked down without much public discussion.

The GPO was built in 1976 to replace the old colonial-style post office that was also knocked down the same year to make way for the Central MTR station. At the time the new GPO had state-of-the-art mailing facilities, and heritage enthusiasts say the building has a unique post-war modernist design.

There have been repeated calls to save the post office over the past few years, but the government claims preservation would undermine the overall development potential of the site. The government has even said demolishing the building is a condition of the sale.

This is a bizarre reason when compared to Singapore's Fullerton Hotel, that was previously the city state's post office too. Admittedly the former Fullerton Building is much more grand than the GPO, but it was still repurposed to good use.

Meanwhile a few Hong Kong-based architects have proposed a number of ways to reuse the post office building, as it is only a small part of the total plot of land. 

Some architects suggest making it a cultural space

Others suggest keeping the building as a main connection point between the harbourfront areas and MTR station, the Star Ferry and other buildings, or to turn it into a cultural space.

Ivan Ho Man-yiu, an architect appointed to be the technical adviser for the land bid, was not keen on the ideas for conservation that have been proposed so far.

"It seems that nowadays when we think of preserving anything, we think of converting it to a museum," he said. "But with technology nowadays, actually many museums are going virtual... For physical museums, I am not sure what it will end up like in the future."

Ho's dismissive attitude isn't reflective of what many Hongkongers want. The government made a terrible mistake in how it handled the closure of Queen's Pier in 2007 and moved it hundreds of metres away. In fact the bid demands that the future developer will have to reconstruct the old Star Ferry Clock Tower close to its original location, to become the focal point of the new harbourfront and have a visual connection with the harbour.

The grassy land plot is included in the bid

It's a pathetic attempt to go back to right a wrong but build a completely new one, in other words construct a "new antique" much like the reconstructed traditional Chinese buildings in China.

Many people are expecting a monstrosity of a shopping mall there -- but why compete with the giant ifc mall right across the street? The easiest would be to build more offices, though the coronavirus pandemic has changed employees' and employers' minds about going back to the office and needing so much space.

It will be interesting to see what bids come in by the deadline this Friday June 18, and which development plan the government decides to choose in the end. Maybe no one's bids will pique the authorities' interest. 

One thing's for sure though -- the public's opinions don't count. Period.

Singapore-HK Travel Bubble Off Again

 

In November the travel bubble was postponed, and now again

The Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble is on hold -- again.

Today it was announced the arrangement where Hong Kong and Singapore travelers would not have to quarantine in each destination was called off due to the rising number of cases in the Lion City.

In the past week Singapore reported 42 cases, including 11 on Monday, which went over the threshold for holding the travel bubble. The city has banned dining in at restaurants, and limited social gatherings to two people in a bid to contain the virus.

Singapore saw a spike in cases this past week

Originally the scheme was supposed to happen on November 22, but it was cancelled the day before when Hong Kong went through a fourth wave. Now both cities have caused postponements.

Those who were keen to travel were booked for the first flight that was planned for May 26, but now will have to wait until at least June 13 to see if the travel bubble will be back on.

Nevertheless, Hong Kong officials said in a statement that both governments remain "strongly committed" to launching the scheme "in a gradual and orderly manner".

"The two governments will continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation in both places, including the effectiveness of the enhanced anti-epidemic measures introduced by the Singapore government, which has taken effect from yesterday (May 16) and would last till June 13," the statement said.

"During this period, both sides will continue to maintain communication, exchange relevant data and statistics, and review developments closely before deciding on the way forward."

HKers would rather go to China, not Singapore

Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, chairman of the Society of IATA Passenger Agents, a coalition of the largest travel agents in Hong Kong, estimated about 4,000 travellers from both cities were affected by the travel bubble busted again.

"The bubble is fragile," he said. "Singapore is not the biggest tourist destination for Hong Kong people, after all the industry is more keen on having a travel bubble with mainland China or Macau."

He urged Hongkongers to get vaccinated to help make the cross-border travel bubble a reality.

And watching the spike in cases in Taiwan should also be another wake-up call for people to realize that the best way to control the pandemic is to protect themselves by getting the jab. We cannot keep borders shut down forever...

 

Vaccine Hesitancy Drags HK Down

About 17 percent of Hongkongers have gotten at least one jab

 

It is shocking to discover less than 30 percent of full time staff at the Hospital Authority have gotten the vaccine for the coronavirus.

The authority's chairman, Henry Fan said on RTHK that around 24,000 staff members had been vaccinated, 70 percent of whom got the BioNTech jab. He said this was in spite of the authority offering half days off and shuttle buses to vaccination centres.

HA admitted less than one-third staff vaccinated

Tony Ko, the authority's chief executive, also said on the same program that while Hong Kong's case numbers are very low, he warned the vaccines had a limited shelf life.

"Of course we know some of the vaccines -- in particular in Hong Kong, the BioNTech -- they've got a limited time when the vaccines are more effective. So I think it is very important that both the public, and of course our colleagues as well, receive the vaccination as soon as possible."

According to government figures, only 17 percent of the city's population have at least one dose of the vaccine. 

One of my younger relatives received his second jab today and is so far feeling well. He managed to persuade his colleagues to get it, after they saw that he wasn't dead yet. Seriously? 

While his colleagues are half joking, getting vaccinated is not to be taken lightly.

Today Hong Kong recorded its first local infection with an unknown source in seven days, while Taiwan is seeing an outbreak of some 180 cases. Singapore's flareup threatens the upcoming travel bubble with Hong Kong set for May 26, while India's situation is out of control and absolutely tragic.

Getting the jab means avoiding tests, quarantine

Isn't that news enough to urge people to get vaccinated?

Unfortunately not.

The argument of getting at least 70 percent of the population immunized to create "herd immunity" is not of interest to them either -- they would rather be the 30 percent not getting the jab, except that they make up over 80 percent of the population.

Excuses abound with hardly any rational reasoning, that the vaccine was developed too quickly, some have serious side effects after getting their shots, or they weren't planning to travel anyway.

People younger than me claim they need to do a health check beforehand is overboard, and it doesn't help that some doctors aren't willing to give definitive advice to their patients to get the jab in case they have an adverse reaction to the jab.

Giving logical explanations doesn't move these vaccine skeptics either, that top infectious disease experts like Yuen Kwok-yung, David Hui Shu-cheong and Ben Cowling have taken the BioNTech jab and recommended it, or that the more people get the vaccine then more restrictions can be lifted, or that getting vaccinated allows them to travel again.

Even the prospect of travel doesn't sway people

The non-vaccinated group is completely unmoved. 

An acquaintance thinks it all boils down to selfishness, that while people were willing to don masks from the beginning of the pandemic, it wasn't to protect the rest of the community, but rather to protect themselves.

Even the argument that more vaccinations will help Hong Kong's economy get better isn't of any interest to them which is strange when people are obsessed about stock and property prices. An even stronger argument of being vaccinated avoids a longer period in the quarantine camp barely moves them to get the jab.

The only good thing is that the number of vaccinations can only go up, though at a much slower rate than we hoped.

Lam Tells Youth to Go to Hainan

Lam (left) in Boao for the annual forum for Asia

 

Hong Kong's dear leader is in Hainan Island or "the Hawaii of China" for the Boao Forum for Asia. It was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but back on this year.

Lam suggested a solution for young Hongkongers looking for an alternative place to developing their careers in the Greater Bay Area -- move to Hainan.

Lam says HKers should enjoy the coconut trees

She said people could not only "enjoy the shadow of coconut trees", but they could also feast on Hainanese chicken rice -- a dish that has its roots in Wenchang, Hainan, but is more popularly associated with Singapore and Malaysia.

Lam said Hainan island's leaders have noted Beijing's plans to entice young Hongkongers to other parts of the Greater Bay Area, and they are also taking the initiative to give opportunities to them.

"My colleagues and I were very moved," she wrote on her Facebook.

She wrote that she hoped young people of Hong Kong would move to Hainan to pursue work or internships, and added the island has a friendly local population and is rich in agricultural products.

However, not everyone was impressed by Lam's suggestion.

The Singaporean version of Hainan chicken rice

While some thought the Chief Executive's idea was a good one, pointing out Hainan is a beautiful place and Hongkongers would love it there, others posted sarcastic remarks, accusing her of failing to "fact check" her promotion of Singaporean cuisine.

"Just because the name of the dish has the word 'Hainan' in it doesn't mean it is a Hainan specialty. It's the same with pineapple buns having no pineapples in them, or Swiss Chicken Wings having nothing to do with Switzerland," one wrote.

However that person is incorrect -- Hainan chicken rice is well known in Hainan, though it is a different version from the Singaporean and Malaysian one; it is originally from Wenchang in the northeast of Hainan, and it refers to the breed of the chicken which is quite lean and so the meat is tougher than what most would expect. There are also aren't condiments like chilli sauce or soy sauce, but is rather eaten bland with some chicken stock (and no chicken oil) flavoured in the chicken or the rice.

Meanwhile others had biting remarks like this one: "As an international city, we've got all sorts of different cuisines and we can get any food we want here. Hongkongers should stay in Hong Kong."

The original Wenchang version of the dish

Perhaps Lam could have a rethink another way of enticing young people to the Greater Bay Area? Hainan is basically a tourist mecca and not an economic powerhouse like say Guangzhou or Shanghai... unless her intention is for Hongkongers laze around coconut trees and eat Hainan chicken all day?