Misplaced Hope for Hong Kong’s Future
Commentary
By the time this article is published, the last quarter countdown is on: we have less than 100 days before 2022 comes to an end. In today’s article, I try to recap important news in Hong Kong that has recently caught people’s attention.
The Hong Kong government just announced the relaxation of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for all arrivals. Effective Sept. 26, all international inbound travelers can enter the city without an initial quarantine hotel stay, the so-called 0+3 arrangement, but airline passengers will need to do a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) test 24 hours before boarding their flight. Upon arrival at the Hong Kong airport, passengers still have to have a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before they can leave the airport. The first day of arrival is considered to be Day 0. Travelers will also need to do a daily RAT for 7 consecutive days, plus a PCR test on days 2, 4, and 6. So, a total of 11 tests up to Day 7, which is just surreal….