Coronavirus: U-turn on Lunar New Year flower markets causes confusion for Hong Kong florists

Fairs will run in their traditional format with more stringent crowd-control measures to minimise infection risks, government sources say

Flower growers say reversal has come too late but politicians across the political divide welcome the move

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Customers check out festive blooms at the flower market in Prince Edward. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 8:00am, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 1:10pm, 18 Jan 2021

An expected U-turn by the Hong Kong government to allow Lunar New Year flower markets at traditional major venues has caused confusion among florists, with some saying the reversal is too late as they have already sought alternative locations or changed sales strategy.

Politicians across the political divide, however, welcomed the move, although they accused the administration of mishandling the situation and failing to communicate with florists before they cancelled the popular markets to guard against the coronavirus.

Flower markets are traditionally held across the city every Lunar New Year, involving thousands of florists and festive goods vendors, with Victoria Park in Causeway Bay the biggest venue.

Last Monday, florists stormed out of a meeting with health officials after they accused the government of failing to compensate them for financial losses following what they said was an abrupt cancellation of fairs originally planned for February.

The Lunar New Year flower fair at Victoria Park is the biggest in Hong Kong. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Government officials initially said alternative smaller-scale locations were being identified such as at public housing estates. But a government source said on Sunday a decision had been taken to run the annual fairs in their traditional format with more stringent crowd-control measures to minimise infection risks from crowds.