Opinion | Hong Kong must pivot to normality with an unqualified ‘zero’ policy for travellers

Twenty-one, 14, seven, 3+4, 0+3. This is not some strange derivative of a reverse Fibonacci sequence. Sadly, most Hong Kong residents probably know what these numbers mean – the dreaded number of hotel quarantine days upon arrival in the city.

There has been much speculation about when Hong Kong will implement a “0+0” entry policy, but this was not announced in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address. But what is “0+0”? It has yet to be defined.

While I applaud the current administration for its relatively rapid progression to no hotel quarantine for travellers, I am of the opinion that at this stage of the pandemic, we need to move to a full and unqualified “zero” policy. By this I mean no quarantine, no medical surveillance and, importantly, no testing.

Even the “0+0” with testing will appeal only to Hongkongers and those who have family or friends in Hong Kong they wish to visit. It won’t attract most tourists and businesspeople as they would run the risk of testing positive for Covid-19 and being unable to enter offices and restaurants. People already avoid Hong Kong because of the threat of confinement to the infamous Penny’s Bay, whether real or imagined.

As has been widely reported, our restrictive anti-pandemic measures have resulted in an exodus of both firms and talent. Regional roles require frequent travel and, as other countries have opened up, many companies have relocated their staff overseas – some temporarily, others permanently. According to a recent survey by the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association, more than a third of fund management companies have moved some or all of their regional and global roles out of Hong Kong.