My Take | Time for Hong Kong to emerge from its ever-shrinking bubble
- The city’s ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to Covid-19 has left residents isolated. As the vaccination rate grows, Hong Kong should follow Singapore’s more nuanced strategy
The scrapping of plans for a Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble last week was predictable, but its demise has far-reaching implications. The move highlights Hong Kong’s growing isolation from much of the world as it doggedly pursues a “zero-tolerance” approach to Covid-19.
The scheme, intended to allow quarantine-free travel between the two cities, was claimed as a world first. It was due to launch in November last year, but depended on cases in both places being kept to a minimal level which proved impossible.
Singapore has now switched to a more relaxed “live with the virus” strategy. This means tolerating a higher number of cases and makes the travel bubble unworkable. The Hong Kong government said Singapore’s shift in policy changed the basic premise underpinning the scheme.
In keeping with its new approach, Singapore will not require short-term visitors from Hong Kong and Macau to quarantine from August 26. Hong Kong’s “zero-case” strategy, meanwhile, means that measure will not be reciprocated.
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Hong Kong should follow Singapore’s lead and drop ‘zero case’ approach to Covid-19
Those who have effectively been trapped in Hong Kong since Covid-19 emerged early last year will be greatly disheartened by predictions that the city’s travel restrictions, among the strictest in the world, will remain in place until 2023.