https://www.scmp.com/rss/507217/feed Latest news and updates on social-distancing measures in Hong Kong. To minimise the risk of the spread of Covid-19, the city's government has introduced and constantly updated a number of social-distancing rules, including limits on how many people can gather in public places and indoor venues, a requirement to wear face masks on public transport and in most public places except during exercise, the closure of bars, nightclubs, beaches and swimming pools, and limits on restaurant opening hours.... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In this series of stories to mark five years since Hong Kong recorded its first Covid-19 case on January 22, 2020, the Post looks at how some residents’ lives changed and examines the city’s readiness for the next global pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic is over, but Hongkonger Eunice To continues to cope with a severe skin condition and health issues she is convinced were triggered by vaccines. The 26-year-old has no proof, and doctors she saw were divided on whether the vaccines could be blamed.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3295378/hongkongers-worsening-eczema-food-allergies-fuel-her-doubts-over-covid-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3295378/hongkongers-worsening-eczema-food-allergies-fuel-her-doubts-over-covid-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 09:33:37 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers have accused the government of wasting public money after it was revealed about HK$3.75 million is being spent each month to maintain six community isolation facilities unused since the coronavirus pandemic. The legislators on Tuesday urged authorities to make better use of the sites by turning some of them over for other purposes as soon as possible. According to a Development Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council’s Special Finance Committee on Monday, all... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3259193/hong-kong-lawmakers-slam-hk375-million-monthly-bill-6-covid-isolation-facilities-standby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3259193/hong-kong-lawmakers-slam-hk375-million-monthly-bill-6-covid-isolation-facilities-standby?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2024 08:56:19 +0000 A magistrate has handed down a sentence of 160 hours of community service to a Hong Kong marketing executive who misled health officials tracing Covid-19 patients linked to an infamous birthday party in early 2022 with a guest list boasting top officials and lawmakers. Magistrate Ophelia Yap Ching-ching of Kowloon City Court imposed the non-custodial sentence on Celia Wong Sze-nga, 38, on Monday after finding her guilty of four counts of knowingly giving false information to health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3254118/hong-kong-woman-who-attended-scandal-hit-birthday-party-witman-hung-sentenced-160-hours-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3254118/hong-kong-woman-who-attended-scandal-hit-birthday-party-witman-hung-sentenced-160-hours-community?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:00:21 +0000 A marketing executive was found guilty on Friday of misleading health officials tracing Covid-19 patients linked to an infamous birthday party in early 2022 with a guest list boasting top Hong Kong officials and lawmakers. Kowloon City Court rejected the defence from Celia Wong Sze-nga, who is also a member of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association’s youth committee, that she provided inaccurate information because she had dementia. The 38-year-old was convicted of four counts of knowingly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3248257/hong-kong-woman-who-attended-high-profile-party-found-guilty-misleading-health-officials-tracing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3248257/hong-kong-woman-who-attended-high-profile-party-found-guilty-misleading-health-officials-tracing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 10:27:40 +0000 Health authorities have warned the winter influenza season is likely to hit Hong Kong next month, urging high-risk groups to get flu jabs as soon as possible, with the temperature set to drop to 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Saturday. Centre for Health Protection controller Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin on Friday said the winter surge in flu cases normally occurred between January and April, expecting the same to happen next year. “As we entered December, the weather will become colder and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3245268/hong-kong-health-authorities-brace-flu-season-temperatures-set-drop-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3245268/hong-kong-health-authorities-brace-flu-season-temperatures-set-drop-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 11:41:52 +0000 Travellers crossing the Hong Kong-mainland Chinese border enjoyed shorter journeys after authorities in the north lifted a mandatory health declaration on Wednesday, the final pandemic curb to be axed. Business groups in the city welcomed the move, which they said would help their members cross the border, with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick Yeung Wai-tim praising it as a positive step for improving connectivity. “This, together with the recent move to issue multiple-entry... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239903/travellers-crossing-hong-kong-mainland-chinese-border-enjoy-smoother-journeys-after-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239903/travellers-crossing-hong-kong-mainland-chinese-border-enjoy-smoother-journeys-after-health?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:46 +0000 Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority chief has warned of an impending surge in flu cases, noting it will be the city’s first winter without the mandatory mask-wearing policy enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic and residents’ immunity has weakened. Authority chief executive Tony Ko Pat-sing made the prediction on Sunday after the Department of Health said it was investigating two cases of severe influenza A infection, including one involving a 16-year-old boy who was found unconscious two days after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3238800/hong-kongs-hospital-authority-chief-warns-surge-flu-cases-city-enters-first-winter-season-without?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3238800/hong-kongs-hospital-authority-chief-warns-surge-flu-cases-city-enters-first-winter-season-without?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2023 09:46:07 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The Hong Kong government has rightly pointed out that organ donation hinges on the principle of altruism, which is self-initiated and voluntary. Altruism is based on mutual trust and solidarity... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3221741/high-handed-response-hongkongers-pulling-out-organ-donor-scheme-further-erodes-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3221741/high-handed-response-hongkongers-pulling-out-organ-donor-scheme-further-erodes-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 03:30:12 +0000 A practitioner at a Hong Kong district health centre has been jailed for six months for offering a HK$1,000 (US$127) bribe to a nurse in exchange for a Covid-19 vaccination record without taking the required jab. Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung Shuk-han on Wednesday said Cheung Chin-hang’s behaviour was an attempt to endanger public health during the pandemic. The 25-year-old practitioner, who claimed he had a heart condition and was unfit for vaccination, was required to obtain a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3221663/hong-kong-healthcare-practitioner-jailed-6-months-offering-hk1000-bribe-nurse-covid-vaccination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3221663/hong-kong-healthcare-practitioner-jailed-6-months-offering-hk1000-bribe-nurse-covid-vaccination?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 08:29:27 +0000 A 32-year-old Hong Kong man has been jailed for nearly a year after he took to social media to urge others to attack judges and police, as well as encourage people to spread the coronavirus during the pandemic. Repairman Chung Chi-chiu pleaded guilty to three incitement charges at the District Court on Friday in relation to his statements on the popular LIHKG forum between May 2021 and February last year. Police arrested the defendant after he proposed forcing city authorities to drop their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3220316/hong-kong-man-jailed-11-months-over-social-media-posts-calling-attacks-police-and-judges-spreading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3220316/hong-kong-man-jailed-11-months-over-social-media-posts-calling-attacks-police-and-judges-spreading?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 May 2023 05:58:51 +0000 Hong Kong does not need to bring back its mask mandate and other social-distancing curbs even though Covid-19 and flu cases are on the rise, the city’s health minister has said, adding that reintroducing the face covering directive would have a negative impact on society. But Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Saturday also warned that the flu season, which began this month, had not peaked yet and typically took 12 to 16 weeks to subside. During a television interview, Lo also said Covid-19... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3218853/no-need-bring-back-mask-mandate-social-distancing-curbs-despite-rising-covid-cases-hong-kong-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3218853/no-need-bring-back-mask-mandate-social-distancing-curbs-despite-rising-covid-cases-hong-kong-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Apr 2023 07:02:29 +0000 An art installation outside Hong Kong’s biggest shopping centre showcasing hundreds of black-and-white portraits of residents has sparked heated discussions online, with some internet users saying it resembles displays commemorating victims of mass tragedies. To mark the end of the city’s three-year Covid-19 mask mandate, Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui invited residents to submit portraits without their face coverings last month as part of the “Inside Out” community art project originally created... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3218597/artistic-or-morbid-giant-art-project-showing-black-and-white-portraits-outside-hong-kong-mall-sparks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3218597/artistic-or-morbid-giant-art-project-showing-black-and-white-portraits-outside-hong-kong-mall-sparks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2023 10:38:09 +0000 An influenza outbreak shows signs of worsening amid the Hong Kong flu season, which sparked an appeal to the public to get vaccinated against the disease. Health experts warn that Hongkongers’ immunity has weakened during years of measures designed to combat Covid-19, such as social distancing. The Centre for Health Protection earlier issued a flu season warning as the percentage of detections a week for seasonal influenza surged from less than 1 per cent in the first week of March to 9.89 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217937/present-outbreak-flu-serious-and-how-can-hong-kong-best-shield-itself-infection-post-asks-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3217937/present-outbreak-flu-serious-and-how-can-hong-kong-best-shield-itself-infection-post-asks-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Apr 2023 03:00:22 +0000 A Hong Kong civil servant has been sentenced to 140 hours of community service for trying to enter his workplace with a fake Covid-19 risk-exposure app on the first day the administration required mandatory scanning more than a year ago. Immigration assistant Wong Tsz-hin returned to Eastern Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for trespassing as a magistrate rejected his defence that he had unknowingly used the wrong software he thought was the government’s “Leave Home Safe” app. The 30-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216781/hong-kong-civil-servant-sentenced-140-hours-community-service-using-fake-covid-19-risk-exposure-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216781/hong-kong-civil-servant-sentenced-140-hours-community-service-using-fake-covid-19-risk-exposure-app?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:38:11 +0000 Covid-19 is on the rise again in Hong Kong with a single patient now able to spread the virus to more than two other people on average when no precautions are in force, the latest health statistics have shown. The interactive web-based Covid-19 case tracker run by the University of Hong Kong revealed the real-time effective reproductive number (Rt) for city cases jumped to 2.07 on March 30, up from 1.09 on March 29. It was the highest reproductive number since early March last year and could... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3216486/rise-hong-kong-coronavirus-reproduction-number-blamed-axing-covid-19-restrictions-and-waning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3216486/rise-hong-kong-coronavirus-reproduction-number-blamed-axing-covid-19-restrictions-and-waning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2023 14:18:21 +0000 The Swiss manufacturer of Tamiflu has warned that a shortage of the medication being given to children ill with the flu will persist until June in Hong Kong due to an unexpected surge in demand following the end of the city’s mask mandate last month. Roche, which produces the solution form of Tamiflu, on Saturday confirmed the drug shortage as paediatricians in the city warned that children with chronic illnesses could suffer serious complications if they were infected with both Covid-19 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3216427/shortage-tamiflu-drug-children-ill-flu-persist-until-june-hong-kong-swiss-manufacturer-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3216427/shortage-tamiflu-drug-children-ill-flu-persist-until-june-hong-kong-swiss-manufacturer-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:41:22 +0000 Visitors to Hong Kong public hospitals and care homes will no longer be required to undergo rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 from Saturday, after the government said it was lifting one of the last remaining mandatory screening requirements. The government also announced on Wednesday that clinical staff at public hospitals and residents of care homes for the elderly and disabled would no longer be required to take a daily rapid antigen test (RAT). “The lifting of the RAT requirement in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3214492/coronavirus-hong-kong-drop-mandatory-covid-tests-visitors-public-hospital-and-care-homes-lifting-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3214492/coronavirus-hong-kong-drop-mandatory-covid-tests-visitors-public-hospital-and-care-homes-lifting-one?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Mar 2023 16:44:10 +0000 As Covid-19 has become endemic and social-distancing curbs have eased in Hong Kong, health experts have warned children in the city are being exposed to other infectious diseases following the lifting of the mask mandate. Increases in respiratory infections and hand, foot and mouth disease among children have been reported by paediatricians and authorities recently. Illnesses plague Hong Kong schools after mask mandate dropped: paediatrician The Post examines the uptick in cases and speaks to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3214192/what-behind-uptick-infectious-diseases-among-children-hong-kong-after-lifting-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3214192/what-behind-uptick-infectious-diseases-among-children-hong-kong-after-lifting-mask-mandate?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Mar 2023 11:46:56 +0000 The Singapore government this month released a white paper on the city state’s response to Covid-19, highlighting the areas the country did well and where it fell short. The city state scored well in vaccinating the vast majority of the population in just over six months. But it fell short, among other things, in managing the outbreak in migrant worker dormitories, its overly definitive stance against mask-wearing early in the pandemic, and how measures were tightened and eased repeatedly during... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3213952/why-hong-kongs-political-taboos-shouldnt-hinder-independent-pandemic-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3213952/why-hong-kongs-political-taboos-shouldnt-hinder-independent-pandemic-inquiry?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Mar 2023 00:00:27 +0000 Freedom of association, assembly, procession and demonstration is protected by Hong Kong law and has been widely exercised since the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997. Some mass gatherings drew hundreds of thousands of people. But most demonstrations were smaller scale. They covered a wide range of causes across the political spectrum, and the overwhelming majority were peaceful, lawful and orderly. The right to protest, however, was abused during civil unrest in 2019, when anti-government... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3213537/peaceful-protest-fabric-hong-kong-society?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3213537/peaceful-protest-fabric-hong-kong-society?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Mar 2023 23:45:10 +0000 Resorts World Cruises, the new company set up by Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay, believes the cruise passenger business in Hong Kong has a better chance of a quick recovery than its business hub rival Singapore. Resorts World launched the maiden voyage of the 13-deck Resorts World One from its home port of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Friday, following a glitzy event earlier in the day attended by the company’s top executives, local tourism officials and other partners. “In terms... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3213249/resorts-world-sees-quick-recovery-hong-kongs-passenger-cruise-market-it-eyes-local-mainland-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3213249/resorts-world-sees-quick-recovery-hong-kongs-passenger-cruise-market-it-eyes-local-mainland-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Mar 2023 07:58:51 +0000 Mainland China’s top Covid-19 expert has praised Hong Kong’s easing of pandemic control measures on a rare visit to the city, as he revealed a number of new coronavirus vaccines and medications that are “better” than Paxlovid will soon be available across the border. Zhong Nanshan provided the dose of optimism as a top local government expert said the pandemic was “over” in Hong Kong and Covid-19 vaccination would likely be regularised like flu jabs, following the World Health Organization’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3213184/coronavirus-pandemic-over-hong-kong-leading-government-health-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3213184/coronavirus-pandemic-over-hong-kong-leading-government-health-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Mar 2023 06:50:08 +0000 Swire Pacific’s profits fell 10 per cent in 2022 as losses widened at Cathay Pacific and other business units while profits fell at Swire Properties, reflecting Hong Kong’s difficult business environment under the city’s worst wave of Covid-19 infections and harshest pandemic restrictions. The Hong Kong-based conglomerate’s underlying profit fell to HK$4.748 billion (US$604.8 million) in 2022 from HK$5.293 billion in 2021, while recurring underlying profit fell by 22 per cent to HK$3.8 billion,... https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3212930/swire-pacific-reports-lower-2022-profits-covid-19-curbs-hit-units-cathay-pacific-swire-properties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/article/3212930/swire-pacific-reports-lower-2022-profits-covid-19-curbs-hit-units-cathay-pacific-swire-properties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:30:11 +0000 Hundreds of hopefuls have descended on Hong Kong’s largest job fair since cross-border travel restrictions were fully lifted last month, with more than 4,700 vacancies up for grabs amid labour shortages in the city. Leon Lau, 27, showed up on the first of the two-day expo in Mong Kok on Wednesday looking for steady work after being laid off as a security guard during the Covid-19 pandemic and working odd jobs since then. “If I could find a job as a security guard, I would take it, but I want to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3212816/hundreds-visit-hong-kong-job-fair-4700-openings-grabs-amid-labour-crunch-city-returns-post-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3212816/hundreds-visit-hong-kong-job-fair-4700-openings-grabs-amid-labour-crunch-city-returns-post-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:11:32 +0000 As most of us celebrate the end of Hong Kong’s mask mandate, we should perhaps spare a thought for the opportunists mourning the end of a nice little three-year earner. In the early pandemic months, more than 200 Hong Kong companies making and supplying face masks were registered, as entrepreneurs anticipated a face-mask bonanza. But by the end of last year, just 20 remain, a number expected to fall further. In China, home to half the world’s face-mask production, the first five months of 2020... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212132/spare-thought-makers-masks-and-vaccines-and-end-their-covid-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3212132/spare-thought-makers-masks-and-vaccines-and-end-their-covid-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 07:45:10 +0000 Residents in cities across Southeast Asia hoping to win free airline tickets to Hong Kong suffered long waits and chaotic registration as two carriers launched their giveaway campaigns on Wednesday. The “World of Winners” campaign by the city’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways began in Thailand at noon, or 1pm Hong Kong time, and recorded 17,400 registrations in just 45 minutes, with its website experiencing heavy traffic in the hours before the launch. Visitors to the website of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211910/online-users-kept-waiting-hours-airline-website-hong-kong-ticket-giveaway-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3211910/online-users-kept-waiting-hours-airline-website-hong-kong-ticket-giveaway-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 04:14:21 +0000 Hong Kong’s mask mandate, recently extended to March 8 and in place since July 2020, could be lifted after the flu season, according to senior officials. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Friday further raised hopes by indicating that the unpopular rule could be dropped by the “end of the season”, following similar remarks by the city’s leader earlier. The Post learned Chan was referring to the end of March. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world where masks are required in most... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3211386/hong-kong-still-masking-heres-look-how-other-countries-and-cities-have-handled-unpopular-covid-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3211386/hong-kong-still-masking-heres-look-how-other-countries-and-cities-have-handled-unpopular-covid-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 06:22:38 +0000 Hong Kong’s finance minister has raised high hopes of scrapping the city’s mask mandate, saying it could be lifted “at the end of the season” as the government has heard residents’ mounting calls for the last major Covid-19 restriction to be axed as soon as possible. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po was on Friday addressing his latest budget blueprint on government radio, but most callers were fixated on the mask measure. The city has extended the mandate for another two weeks until March... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3211334/no-more-masks-april-hong-kong-finance-chief-raises-hopes-saying-city-will-drop-unpopular-covid-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3211334/no-more-masks-april-hong-kong-finance-chief-raises-hopes-saying-city-will-drop-unpopular-covid-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Feb 2023 02:12:01 +0000 The government’s move to cut ad valorem stamp duty is stimulating the city’s residential property market, with a number of transactions taking place on the same day that Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the measure to help first-time homeowners, according to property agents. Following the announcement, Shatin Plaza estate in Shatin-Tai Wai district recorded its first home sale this month, with a three-bedroom flat sold for HK$10.38 million (US$1.32 million) on Wednesday night, according... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211295/hong-kongs-tax-cuts-buyers-cheaper-homes-has-boosted-sentiment-and-sales-say-property-agents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211295/hong-kongs-tax-cuts-buyers-cheaper-homes-has-boosted-sentiment-and-sales-say-property-agents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 23:30:16 +0000 Emirates, the biggest carrier in the Middle East, is banking on a swift recovery in the aviation industry as Covid-19 travel restrictions are dismantled, with an eye on restoring its daily flight frequency from Hong Kong. The Dubai-based carrier currently operates one daily flight from the city after cutting down from four during the pandemic, according to Nasser Bahlooq, its newly-appointed area manager in Hong Kong. Recent efforts to strengthen the city’s ties with the Middle East are expected... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211097/emirates-eyes-return-pre-covid-19-flight-frequency-hong-kong-aviation-recovery-gains-momentum-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3211097/emirates-eyes-return-pre-covid-19-flight-frequency-hong-kong-aviation-recovery-gains-momentum-area?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:30:14 +0000 Hong Kong pharmacies are preparing to slash mask prices, while customers have already reduced purchases in anticipation the government next month will lift a mandate that requires people to wear facial coverings. Vendors said they had noticed a drop in sales after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s comments last week that the government would actively consider removing the mask mandate after the winter flu season. Cheung Tak-wing, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Pharmacy, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210483/hong-kong-pharmacies-prepare-slash-mask-prices-ahead-mandates-possible-lifting-while-customers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3210483/hong-kong-pharmacies-prepare-slash-mask-prices-ahead-mandates-possible-lifting-while-customers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s travel business showed signs of recovery in January with Cathay Pacific Airways carrying 1 million passengers a month for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and arrival numbers surging. The city’s flagship carrier on Wednesday said it would add more cross-border flights by the end of this month after pandemic-related travel restrictions with mainland China were lifted gradually in January. The Hong Kong Tourism Board revealed that the number of visitors to the city... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3210320/hong-kong-travel-trade-flies-high-january-cathay-pacific-carries-1-million-passengers-while-visitor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3210320/hong-kong-travel-trade-flies-high-january-cathay-pacific-carries-1-million-passengers-while-visitor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:47:57 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. It seems Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has indeed been telling the good stories of Hong Kong, stories that sound almost too good to be true. It is not only irresponsible for Lee to say on his... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3210115/no-restrictions-hong-kong-too-good-be-true?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3210115/no-restrictions-hong-kong-too-good-be-true?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Feb 2023 03:30:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. As the world learns to live with the coronavirus, health experts, politicians and stakeholders are calling for a full review of their country or city’s response to Covid-19, so they can be better... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3209380/review-hong-kongs-handling-covid-19-sake-next-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3209380/review-hong-kongs-handling-covid-19-sake-next-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 03:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong took swift action in 2003 after it emerged from the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak that claimed 299 lives in the city. It assembled a Sars Expert Committee made up of 11 medical experts from Britain, the United States, Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong to examine why the city had been hit so hard, and if there were lessons to learn. The city had recorded 1,755 cases in three months, the second highest in the world after the mainland, and those who died... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209159/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-no-probe-governments-pandemic-response-so-how-will-city-learn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209159/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-no-probe-governments-pandemic-response-so-how-will-city-learn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:11 +0000 Overseas and mainland Chinese tourists have voiced their excitement at being back in Hong Kong to enjoy the food, nightlife and scenery but some hope more offers and better service will be available with the city dropping most Covid-related restrictions for arrivals from Monday. Dozens of tourists gathered at the Tourism Board Visitor Centre at the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier on Saturday afternoon, where staff helped them to register for goodies – part of the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3209115/coronavirus-tourists-glad-be-back-hong-kong-more-discounts-and-better-service-wanted-some?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3209115/coronavirus-tourists-glad-be-back-hong-kong-more-discounts-and-better-service-wanted-some?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2023 12:38:07 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Key points: Full border reopening between mainland China and Hong Kong to resume from Monday No more quotas and pre-departure Covid-19 test for travellers; no booking is required to cross the border All border crossing points, including Lo Wu, Heung Yuen Wai-Liantang and Lok Ma Chau, will reopen Pre-departure rapid antigen tests (RAT) for travellers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209040/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-all-travel-curbs-mainland-china-border-end-monday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3209040/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-says-all-travel-curbs-mainland-china-border-end-monday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:16:43 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Key points: Full border reopening between mainland China and Hong Kong to resume from Monday No more quotas and pre-departure Covid-19 test for travellers; no booking is required to cross the border All border crossing points, including Lo Wu, Heung Yuen Wai-Liantang and Lok Ma Chau, will reopen Pre-departure rapid antigen tests (RAT) for travellers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208936/coronavirus-mainland-china-hong-kong-fully-reopen-no-covid-restrictions-including-no-quota-arrivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208936/coronavirus-mainland-china-hong-kong-fully-reopen-no-covid-restrictions-including-no-quota-arrivals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 01:53:48 +0000 Three more border crossings between Hong Kong and mainland China including the Lo Wu checkpoint are expected to reopen as early as Monday while the quota system and Covid-19 testing requirements for travellers are set to be dropped, the Post has learned. The Lok Ma Chau and Heung Yuen Wai control points were set to reopen along with Lo Wu, but the remaining one at Sha Tau Kok would stay closed, a government source said on Wednesday. Hong Kong and Guangdong authorities in principle agreed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208774/coronavirus-3-more-border-crossings-between-hong-kong-mainland-china-set-reopen-mandatory-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208774/coronavirus-3-more-border-crossings-between-hong-kong-mainland-china-set-reopen-mandatory-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:30:13 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday dismissed calls for an independent investigation into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying there has never been a recognised best solution to the public health crisis. But government health adviser Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, who called for a far-reaching inquiry last week, said he was simply looking for improvements and lessons to be learned, rather than finding a scapegoat. In rejecting the proposal from one of the city’s leading infectious... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208538/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-dismisses-need-conduct-independent-review-government-handling-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208538/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-dismisses-need-conduct-independent-review-government-handling-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:42:36 +0000 Covid-19 patients welcomed the end of Hong Kong’s mandatory isolation policy for positive cases on Monday but some shuttle bus drivers expressed concern, fearing they could easily become infected when taking people from quarantine facilities. Dozens of patients took shuttle buses from the Penny’s Bay isolation centre on Lantau Island to a drop-off point at Tsing Yi MTR station in the morning, with hundreds allowed to leave the camp after midnight when one of the city’s last remaining pandemic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208439/coronavirus-covid-patients-head-exits-hong-kong-ends-mandatory-isolation-shuttle-bus-drivers-worry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208439/coronavirus-covid-patients-head-exits-hong-kong-ends-mandatory-isolation-shuttle-bus-drivers-worry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jan 2023 06:19:19 +0000 Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong will no longer be required to undergo mandatory isolation from Monday, but employers in some sectors have said they will still ask infected staff to stay at home to protect other workers and the people they serve. Operators in the school, care home, restaurant and hotel sectors the Post talked to were responding to the government’s decision to scrap the isolation policy for Covid-19 patients, who will be able to leave home and go to work on their own accord from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208273/coronavirus-hong-kong-bosses-taking-no-chances-infected-workers-even-mandatory-isolation-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3208273/coronavirus-hong-kong-bosses-taking-no-chances-infected-workers-even-mandatory-isolation-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jan 2023 01:45:10 +0000 More than 15,000 Hong Kong students living in mainland China will only return to schools in the city starting in mid-February, two weeks later than scheduled, education authorities have said. The Education Bureau on Friday announced that cross-border secondary school students could resume face-to-face learning within the second week of February, while those attending primary schools and kindergartens were expected to resume classes by the end of next month. Authorities had earlier said pupils... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3208236/cross-border-pupils-return-hong-kong-classrooms-delayed-first-students-back-mid-february-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3208236/cross-border-pupils-return-hong-kong-classrooms-delayed-first-students-back-mid-february-education?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 09:43:43 +0000 The uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among Hongkongers has slowed since early January, with health experts attributing the trend to the shift in the city’s pandemic policy, an easing winter outbreak and what one called an “overcautious” risk alert by US authorities on BioNTech’s bivalent shot. The city experienced a surge in vaccinations in late December and early January, pushing the seven-day average above 15,000 shots a day compared with about 10,000 in early December when the Omicron-specific... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3207892/people-think-pandemic-seems-be-gone-why-fewer-hongkongers-are-receiving-covid-shots-after-recent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3207892/people-think-pandemic-seems-be-gone-why-fewer-hongkongers-are-receiving-covid-shots-after-recent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:15:06 +0000 Hong Kong’s business community has welcomed the end of mandatory isolation for Covid-19 patients as a key step toward economic recovery, but called for urgent action to bring back mainland Chinese tourists who are a driving force for growth. The measure, which takes effect on January 30, will allow employers to decide how to deal with employees who test positive for Covid-19, although a human resources consultant has warned of complications that may arise if workers falsely report their... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3207477/coronavirus-hong-kong-businesses-welcome-move-scrap-mandatory-isolation-covid-patients-want-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3207477/coronavirus-hong-kong-businesses-welcome-move-scrap-mandatory-isolation-covid-patients-want-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jan 2023 01:55:13 +0000 After nearly three years, the border between mainland China and Hong Kong has been reopened, following an announcement by the Hong Kong government. As of January 8, a daily quota of 50,000 Hongkongers are able to head to the mainland quarantine-free via one of the three designated checkpoints, through which a daily quota of 60,000 mainlanders can also enter Hong Kong. Residents from both sides of the border have to apply in advance through an online system to obtain a slot, although those... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206353/hong-kong-must-prioritise-economic-recovery-following-border-reopening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206353/hong-kong-must-prioritise-economic-recovery-following-border-reopening?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jan 2023 02:15:09 +0000 After three years of a bitter struggle with the coronavirus, the scenes of long-separated family members, lovers and friends reuniting at the reopened border with the mainland have offered hope on the way forward. But many pupils, who attend school in Hong Kong but are currently stranded on the other side of the border, are yet to benefit from the resumption of quarantine-free travel with the city. Authorities must speed up preparations for the return of these children, taking into account... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206476/hong-kongs-cross-border-pupils-require-our-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3206476/hong-kongs-cross-border-pupils-require-our-support?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2023 23:00:18 +0000 Thousands of eager travellers descended on newly reopened border checkpoints early on Sunday to cross between Hong Kong and mainland China for family reunions or business purposes without the need to quarantine for the first time in three years. At the Lok Ma Chau spur line checkpoint, which will handle 70 per cent of the 50,000 daily quota for travellers heading to the mainland, many people had taken the first train at 5.28am from Mong Kok East station before the crossing opened at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205977/coronavirus-tens-thousands-cross-hong-kong-mainland-china-border-quarantine-free-travel-finally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3205977/coronavirus-tens-thousands-cross-hong-kong-mainland-china-border-quarantine-free-travel-finally?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jan 2023 00:21:13 +0000 Time slots for cross-border travel on the days leading up to Lunar New Year were almost fully booked by Friday as the Hong Kong government revealed that more than 340,000 residents had registered for visits to mainland China by 6pm. Tens of thousands of residents flocked to a new online booking platform to register hours after the city’s leader on Thursday announced details of border-crossing arrangements for Sunday. Prospective travellers must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3205817/coronavirus-time-slots-travel-hong-kong-mainland-china-ahead-lunar-new-year-almost-fully-booked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3205817/coronavirus-time-slots-travel-hong-kong-mainland-china-ahead-lunar-new-year-almost-fully-booked?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 07:09:36 +0000 Hong Kong, among the last cities in the world to scrap Covid-19 restrictions, is gradually reopening its border with mainland China starting on Sunday. The tough and protracted curbs contributed to an exodus of about 140,000 people from the city in the past two years. In his New Year message, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said one of his primary goals was to lead Hong Kong out of the pandemic and back to normality. He said he believed Hong Kong could “shine again on the world stage” by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3205783/hong-kongs-covid-19-curbs-were-among-worlds-toughest-what-were-their-long-term-effects-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3205783/hong-kongs-covid-19-curbs-were-among-worlds-toughest-what-were-their-long-term-effects-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jan 2023 04:02:42 +0000