Hong Kong Says It May Loosen Covid-19 Flight Bans, Quarantine
HONG KONG—Chief Executive
Carrie Lam
said her government will review its Covid-19 measures, including lengthy quarantines and a ban on flights from key countries that have isolated the Asian financial hub and hobbled operations of global banks and multinationals in the city.
On Thursday, Mrs. Lam said the wide-ranging “midwave review” will also cover a return to classroom lessons, social-distancing measures and “whether we are going to do this compulsory universal test”—referring to previously announced plans to test all the city’s 7.4 million people for the coronavirus.
Since early January, Hong Kong has been implementing a raft of tougher rules to stem an unprecedented Omicron-driven outbreak, which has still gone on to infect almost a million residents and take 4,923 lives as of Thursday. Flights from countries including the U.S. and U.K. have been banned, while the high cost and shortage of rooms in quarantine hotels have left residents stranded and executives unable to travel.
“I have a good feel that some of our financial institutions are losing patience about the isolated status of Hong Kong,” Mrs. Lam said, promising a comprehensive update on the situation as soon as Sunday. “I have a very strong feeling that people’s tolerance [is] fading.”
Since Covid-19 was first detected in Hong Kong in early 2020, the government had successfully stopped the virus from gaining a foothold in the city, with only 213 deaths before the latest wave of infections. But that came at the expense of the open borders and ease of global connections that have been key to the city’s success as a bridge between China and the rest of the world.
Just a week ago, Mrs. Lam had insisted there would be no change in travel policy until the latest wave of infections had subsided. Now, with her Covid measures having failed to prevent widespread infections and deaths, frustration is mounting over the lack of a clear road map out of the pandemic and the government’s unclear communications and frequent reversals on policies that affect all aspects of daily life.
Supermarket shelves were stripped in late February after senior officials said they wouldn’t rule out a lockdown. Mrs. Lam later clarified that there would be no “wholesale city lockdown.” On Feb. 22, the government said schools would shut for early summer holidays because the campuses were needed for mass testing—making an exception days later for international schools. And Thursday, the city’s public beaches were closed, even though people can still gather in crowded indoor venues for lunch.
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