Letters | Hong Kong needs more easing of Covid-19 rules for travellers, not cheery corporate messages

Readers share their views on Hong Kong’s failure to open up to the world, and pandemic-prevention measures that need to go

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Tourists flock to Rome’s Trevi fountain on June 17, 2022. Photo: AP

Published: 11:30am, 14 Jul 2022Updated: 3:01pm, 14 Jul 2022

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After spending a month in Europe, I came back to a message of “Let’s cheer up” displayed on the HSBC building in Central last week, a jarring reminder of how far Hong Kong is slipping behind.

That an advertising or public relations executive was able to convince HSBC management to “cheer up” people is a sad sign of the prevailing sentiment in Hong Kong.

Facing a third summer locked up, Hongkongers are capitulating. The fearmongering is increasing again, in line with the number of infections. There are few flights in and out of Hong Kong. The cost of travel is outrageous; ticket prices are expensive and on top of that you have to pay for a quarantine hotel room.

Meanwhile, mainland China has yet to address the issue of weak immunity levels. Macau is locked down for a week.

Cheers are hard to come by, despite the colourful sign.