These last few days, the Hong Kong government has encouraged Hongkongers to be understanding and endure the new social distancing measures effective as of July 29 to help curb the third wave of Covid-19. To Hongkongers’ credit, since the beginning of this epidemic in January, we have worn masks on our own initiative and observed social distancing.
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With the support of hospital and medical staff, we brought local infections down to zero between April 20 and May 12 (23 days), between May 15 and 30 (16 days), and between June 14 and July 4 (21 days).
Yet even as the Hong Kong government was demanding that residents coming back from abroad be tested and quarantined, it was allowing over 10,000 seamen from high-risk countries to arrive in Hong Kong without quarantine and Covid-19 testing since June. Experts believe that people exempted from quarantine could be one of the triggers for the local infections we are now seeing throughout the community.
The sacrifices that we made from the beginning of the year are now useless. Thanks to the government’s blunder, we locals have to further endure intense social distancing that is close to a lockdown. Few social activities are allowed, gyms are closed, joggers need to wear masks at temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius, and we can forget about holding a wedding banquet as gatherings of only two people are allowed.
The government has extended to December 31 the requirement for all travellers into Hong Kong to quarantine themselves for 14 days. This will kill the tourism industry.
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What started Hong Kong's third Covid-19 wave?
What started Hong Kong's third Covid-19 wave?
With the government’s gross negligence effectively decimating the retail, food and beverage, and tourism sectors, and causing unnecessary hardship to Hongkongers, we can expect another round of government subsidies. Also, I presume we taxpayers will have to bail out Cathay Pacific and Ocean Park again.
