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LettersHong Kong paid a high price for Covid immunity; was it all for nothing?
- Readers discuss their hopes for quarantine-free travel, fines for arrivals who forget to go for compulsory tests, and what a closed-loop Sevens says about the city’s near future
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After 18 months and more than 17 million doses administered, Hong Kong has passed the milestone of having 90 per cent of the population receive at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. With the vaccine pass now in full effect, the number of people receiving their second, third and fourth doses has also increased proportionally. When looking at only those eligible for vaccination, the percentages are even higher.
To supplement the protection gained through vaccination, a substantial portion of our population has gained immunity via recovery from infection (mostly obtained at great cost during Hong Kong’s fifth wave, when figures from the University of Hong Kong suggested half of us were infected).
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The protection afforded us is clear. Despite the relaxation of restrictions, increase in mobility and social interaction, and emergence of new variants over the past few months, our daily case counts are a fraction of what they were during the fifth wave. There is no sign of a sharp upwards trend, while hospitalisation and ICU rates are under control.
Covid-19 is not going away, and it is past time for Hong Kong to learn, like much of the rest of the world, to coexist with the virus. We cannot remain an international city without an open international border, and we cannot continue to suffer the economic and social damage of a closed border without permanent and irreversible harm to both our economy and reputation. How many more Jumbos do we have to lose?
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The touted reduction in quarantine for arrivals from seven days to five-plus-two or three-plus-four simply does not go far enough. It is insufficient to make Hong Kong an attractive destination, insufficient to convince airlines to resume flights, and insufficient to reinvigorate travel (and all the other associated industries).
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