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NSOng Kong is intent on keeping its 7.5 million residents inside and almost everyone out. In doing so, it is moving further away from the Covid-19 exit strategy.
As much of the world opens up, Hong Kong’s quarantine policy has made it impossible for residents to leave and re-enter. Foreign workers, multinational companies and local people working for them are losing patience and hope. Over the weekend, a top lobbying group Wrote to the financial secretary that the attitude of the city Risks its position as a trading hub.
A quick recap of the policy: Most inbound travelers have To quarantine, self-funded, in designated hotels for three weeks. if You are coming from countries classified as high risk, including the US and UK, it does not matter if you have been vaccinated. The government has a list of available rooms that it updates every few weeks, but securing one has become the latest frustration in the labyrinthine process of entering the city.
I recently tried to help book a quarantine room for friends who are traveling to Hong Kong from within the region. They would love to stay here next month, but nothing online seemed suitable and they didn’t find accommodation until February. Of the more than 87,000 hotel rooms in the city, the government has currently designated only 11,500 of them for quarantine purposes. Most acceptable, enough for a family of five. Many hotels do not answer the phone; Taking bookings a few months in advance; Others are not taking them at all. Many have been working through their ever-increasing waiting list over the past months, which was created before they were officially included in the government-approved list. Actual availability falls short of even being published.
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Designated Quarantine Hotel Scheme
Establishment of Hong Kong a designated quarantine hotel, or DQH, plan last December To facilitate longer quarantine. As part of that program, the government solicits applications from hotels and guesthouses with valid licenses to participate. According to a spokesperson for the Food and Health Bureau, in the latest round, the government issued letters listing around 2,000 such facilities. “We have received 45 applications and 40 hotels were selected to be included in the sixth cycle as DQH to provide approximately 11,500 rooms of various types and rates for arrivals in Hong Kong from places other than Mainland and Macau. can.” Officials note that more hotel rooms have been made available than in the previous round and that they will “continue to closely monitor the demand for hotel rooms and, if necessary, on the need to release some 1,200 reserved rooms in individual DQHs.” Will consider.” Government data shows that there are 2,005 such licensed locations in Hong Kong.
Despite facing the reality of three-week confinement – some in tiny rooms of 10 sq m (107.6 sq ft) – friends shed tears of joy upon receiving confirmation of their quarantine stay. Others are stuck with babies (who will start eating solids in quarantine), toddlers (who will learn to walk within those walls) and young children (who will likely end up maxing out their annual screen-time quota in those weeks). are ready to All this as a price to pay to go home and see the family. Most residents haven’t left Hong Kong for the better part of two years because the policy has been so restrictive.
Read also: Covid-19 pandemic – Families trapped under lockdown in Hong Kong’s quarantine facilities, Paris
mental exam with quarantine
Once you’ve overcome the mental barrier of being stuck in a hotel room and spent thousands of dollars to do so, facing the difficulty of booking a room is almost a disgrace. It is unrealistic to expect individuals to endure this process for much longer – for families, it is simply ridiculous. A quick scroll through Hong Kong quarantine Facebook groups will reveal a lot of horror stories. Over the weekend, a traveler in 14-day quarantine – with epilepsy and nut allergies – was found on the floor of his room Epilepsy when staff went for routine PCR Covid-19 test Because the hotel did not prepare proper food for him, According to local media.
The desire to get people out of hotel rooms through these hoops and rations seems to suggest that the sector will go to great lengths to maintain its zero covid strategy. In an interview last month, health secretary told me While Hong Kong undertakes a number of risk assessments, it intends to seal matters eventually. And since most of what cities see (about a handful a day) are imported, the government must control its borders.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a clear, logical justification for such a strategy, which is at this point defensive, backward-looking and rooted in fear. As officials talk about the virus beyond Hong Kong’s borders and its priority to open up to mainland, China Warning of rising outbreak Despite similar strict border policies, in many provinces.
In its current form, the approach makes one wonder why there is such a deep sense of fear in Hong Kong. is it that the officers are related to health care Can’t handle another wave? Or is it that if deaths rise as borders open, the region will end up with a crippling public relations problem because it has not been able to vaccinate its vulnerable population? (Accounts for the elderly, or those 65 and older about 18% of the total population.)
If officers want to stick to their guns, the quarantine system needs to be vastly improved. A few places to start: more suitable hotel rooms, as well as more family-friendly amenities that let in the fresh air. Including adhering to the World Health Organization’s quarantine guidelines”Adequately ventilated rooms with plenty of fresh and clean outdoor airSubsidized rates will also help ease the burden. For limited, large-area housing – around 106 square metres, luxurious by Hong Kong standards – rates are around HKD50,000 ($6,432) a night.
For a government with deep pockets, these are small questions. Now all you need is conviction.—bloomberg
Read also: Hong Kong experts recommend Pfizer vaccine as city deals with worsening winter outbreak
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