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On February 16, 2022, sufferers lie in hospital beds ready for medical therapy in a short lived holding space outdoors Caritas Medical Heart in Hong Kong.
Leung Man Hei | Nurphoto | Getty Photos
Lam has insisted, nevertheless, that there are not any plans for a “widespread metropolis lockdown.”
“So far as Hong Kong is anxious, we have to discover our personal manner out of this epidemic, and thus far, our measures to include the unfold of a illness stay a reliable and legitimate one,” she mentioned.
This month, Lam mentioned town would keep on with what it calls a “dynamic zero” technique, a minimum of till the vaccination charge hits 90%. The Hong Kong authorities describes its “dynamic zero” technique as having a goal of getting “zero infections” — a method it has repeatedly mentioned is the best manner of preventing the pandemic. It entails measures resembling mass neighborhood testing, sewage surveillance, contact tracing, and border controls to maintain out imported instances.
Aged vaccination charges
However that 90% purpose stays elusive as Hong Kong confronts comparatively low vaccination charges, particularly among the many aged.
As of Feb. 22, 59.84% of Hong Kong residents aged 60 and older had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, in response to authorities information. That determine drops to 45.46% for these aged 70 and older.
Lam has mentioned town must “do higher” in inoculating the aged as a way to hit the general 90% vaccination charge goal.
“Till all these issues occur, we’ll proceed to stick to the present technique of making an attempt to include the unfold of the virus, or what we name sustaining this ‘dynamic zero’ regime,” she mentioned.
Hong Kong just lately launched vaccine passes which may encourage extra individuals to get vaccinated. The passes might be required for entry to most public areas starting Feb. 24.
Companies address Covid restrictions
Hong Kong, alongside mainland China, is without doubt one of the final locations nonetheless taking a zero-Covid strategy. The town has maintained tight restrictions as it really works towards establishing quarantine-free journey with China.
However the measures have hindered operations and snarled journey plans, in response to a latest enterprise sentiment survey carried out by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
In its annual report, HSBC mentioned on Tuesday that “The evolving Covid-19 restrictions in Hong Kong, together with journey, public gathering and social distancing restrictions, are impacting the Hong Kong economic system, and will have an effect on the flexibility to draw and retain employees.”
Information from town’s immigration division reveals the variety of work visas issued has dropped during the last two years. Simply 13,800 international professionals had been issued work visas beneath the Common Employment Coverage scheme final 12 months — a decline of about 66% from greater than 41,000 in 2019, earlier than the pandemic.
That decline, nevertheless, is probably going solely partly as a result of Covid restrictions, mentioned Lloyd Chan, senior economist at analysis agency Oxford Economics.
“Along with the journey curbs and US-China tensions, we expect that considerations over the nationwide safety legislation and modifications to Hong Kong’s political system (such because the overhaul of town’s electoral system) have weakened Hong Kong’s enchantment to international corporations and traders as a world hub,” he wrote in a Feb. 9 report.
“Companies look like having issue recruiting abroad expertise, as instructed by anecdotal proof,” he mentioned.
InvestHK, Hong Kong’s authorities company for international direct funding, responded that Hong Kong stays “a significant regional base” for companies regardless of pandemic-related challenges.
“Hong Kong continues to supply abroad companies unparalleled entry to Mainland China markets, which is our largest aggressive benefit,” InvestHK mentioned in a written response to CNBC.
Hong Kong’s banking sector is “as strong as ever” for the reason that implementation of the Nationwide Safety Legislation, the company mentioned. Whole deposits in Hong Kong on the finish of June 2021 had been up nearly 8% year-over-year to greater than $15 trillion Hong Kong {dollars} ($1.92 trillion), the company mentioned.
A spokesman from Hong Kong’s info companies division informed CNBC that the nationwide safety legislation has “reverted the chaotic scenario … restored stability and elevated the arrogance in Hong Kong, thereby permitting town to … return to the trail of growth.”
The modifications to the electoral system, in the meantime, ensured that members of the legislative council acted “within the pursuits of the nation’s growth and the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong,” it mentioned.
Air passenger site visitors plummets
Hong Kong has been swift to additional tighten its border controls each time instances spike. In 2021, town’s air passenger site visitors dived about 85%.
This week, authorities prolonged a ban on incoming flights from 9 international locations, together with the US, United Kingdom, India and Australia till April 20. The federal government has mentioned the tighter border would “stop imported COVID-19 instances from inserting extra strain on town’s healthcare system at this significant juncture of curbing the native epidemic scenario.”
With a purpose to reopen borders with China, Hong Kong has to align with Beijing’s zero-Covid strategy, Chan mentioned.
“Thus, stringent worldwide border restrictions might be maintained, hindering worldwide connectivity and miserable inbound tourism. Consequently, we anticipate Hong Kong’s zero-Covid coverage will hinder the financial restoration and weigh on its attractiveness as a worldwide monetary hub,” he wrote in a Feb. 9 report.
Hong Kong’s cumulative caseload stays low in contrast with different international cities, at simply over 75,000 instances as of Feb. 22, in response to authorities information. For a lot of the pandemic, day by day new instances within the Chinese language metropolis had been usually within the single digits, if any.
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