The financial center’s coronavirus restrictions have adversely affected business and displaced tens of thousands of residents.
Hong Kong will allow bars to stay open until 2 a.m. and more restaurant diners to sit at the same table under the latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the financial hub.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said May 19 will be extended several hours later from May 19, when karaoke rooms and some other venues will also be allowed to reopen.
Beaches and pools will reopen to the public from Thursday, while restaurants will also allow eight people to sit at a table, up from four, Lam said at a regular news conference.
Hong Kong reported 283 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the first time the daily tally fell below 300 in nearly three months. The city has recorded more than 1.2 million infections and more than 9,300 deaths since the pandemic began.
“The COVID figure dropped to triple digits in mid-April and hasn’t rebounded, despite increased pedestrian traffic over the two public holidays,” Lam said, adding that banning people from swimming during beautiful weather is not right.
Lam said she hopes everyone will enjoy Mother’s Day on Sunday as many family members will be able to dine together.
Coronavirus restrictions have impacted business in Hong Kong and helped increase net outbound to about 70,000 in February and March, up from nearly 17,000 in December.
For some, the easing of restrictions may be too late as many businesses in the food and beverage industry have had to lay off staff as they struggle to pay rent in one of the markets. The most expensive real estate in the world.
Life in the Chinese-ruled city is slowly returning to normal, with schools returning to face-to-face classes and many returning to work in offices.
However, the city still requires a seven-day hotel quarantine for all arrivals, making it one of the few municipalities outside of China that still have major restrictions on travel. again.
Gary Ng, a senior economist at Natixis in Hong Kong, said easing pandemic restrictions would help revive consumption but fall short of what is needed for a full economic recovery.
Ng told Al Jazeera: “The cost of strict border controls is still detrimental because it severely damages Hong Kong’s competitiveness.
“The negative impact is not only reflected in the net movement of people, but also in foreign trade. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s exports to mainland China fell 16% year-on-year in March 2022, while Asian peers kept their growth momentum at 12% y/y. same period last year. Therefore, Hong Kong needs to accelerate the reopening of its external borders before its rivals catch up. Better late than never “.
