Editorial | Hong Kong’s caution is laudable, but there is room to lift more Covid-19 restrictions
- The end of hotel quarantine, while welcome, is seen by some as a half-measure; to truly lift the city’s mood, officials should consider revising other rules, such as increasing the number of people who can dine together
It says something about the anti-Covid ordeal Hong Kong has put itself through that no sooner has the government ended hated hotel quarantine altogether, society is already clamouring for more relief from pandemic-related measures.
Businesses and individuals have had enough of restrictions that set Hong Kong apart from the rest of the world, barring the mainland. They cannot see what is to be gained from remaining social-distancing measures that target, and discourage, the visitors our domestic economy so desperately needs if it is to return to growth any time soon.
It comes down to risk versus reward – the human and social cost of a possible surge in Covid-19 infections from overseas, versus the social benefits of economic recovery. It falls to officials to strike the right balance.
Alas, those responsible do not find the task so simple. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau sees the government as responsible for ensuring it leads 7 million people down a safe path. The sentiment cannot be faulted, except that many experts declare the virus to be endemic, and that living with it is no longer optional.
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Inbound travellers to Hong Kong excited about end to hotel quarantine after 2 years
Hong Kong welcomed its first arrivals without sending them into quarantine from early yesterday morning. Instead, they entered three days of surveillance, while excluded from restaurants, bars and other high-risk premises, followed by four days of self-monitoring.