LettersA Valentine’s Day plea to Carrie Lam from Hongkongers stranded abroad

Readers call for the flight ban on arrivals from certain countries to be lifted for vaccinated Hongkongers, and challenge the suggestion that only vaccinated residents should receive consumption vouchers

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A passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on January 16, after many flights were cancelled. A flight ban for eight countries first imposed on January 6 will now remain in place until February 18. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 11:30am, 14 Feb 2022

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On Valentine’s Day, a time when we celebrate love around the world, I make a plea to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to start permitting fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents to return to the city they call home. Many not only miss their beloved city, but close friends and family. Such a gesture would be better than any red packet.

Many countries have accepted that while the Omicron variant is more infectious than earlier mutations, it is far less deadly. Take Australia, where infection numbers are up but hospitalisations have stabilised. That means there is a window of opportunity to allow fully vaccinated residents stranded in no-fly countries to return to Hong Kong without posing additional risks.

With rules in place regarding masking as well as further-tightened social distancing restrictions, surely Hong Kong is now in a good position to allow the return of residents, most of whom, like me – a triple-vaccinated permanent resident stuck in Sydney – are very distressed at being far from home for so long. Please give your heartfelt help to those stranded overseas and longing to return.

George Forrai, Mid-Levels

Vaccinated or not, all Hongkongers need a financial boost

Your correspondent’s suggestion in “How Hong Kong’s budget can help boost the vaccination rate” (February 5) that the government distribute consumption vouchers of different amounts depending on how many doses of the vaccine a person has taken will provoke much anger and division if implemented.