Hong Kong sees no change in travel curbs, before July 1, depite Covid-19 spike | Travel

Hong Kong will not tighten virus curbs ahead of July 1 even with increasing Covid situations due to the fact hospitals aren’t overcome, the city’s outgoing Main Govt Carrie Lam reported.

“The maximize in range of good situations has not brought unbearable stress on the wellness care method and which is attributable to the mother nature of omicron,” Lam stated Tuesday at the ultimate weekly press conference of her time period that ends June 30. 

Hong Kong reported 737 new bacterial infections Monday, down from more than 800 on Saturday and Sunday, but far more than double the figures from May perhaps. Of the 371 men and women hospitalized with Covid, only 3 were in intense care, with most other people possibly asymptomatic or reporting mild infections, Lam claimed. 

Primarily based on that situation, “until the stop of June, we will not make any considerable adjustments or relaxations” to virus curbs, she said, introducing that the metropolis nevertheless desired to be “cautious” about imported cases and maintain measures this sort of as mask putting on and limitations on massive gatherings.

Acquiring Harmony

Lam also mentioned Hong Kong wants to locate a stability concerning the “dual objectives” of stress-free the worldwide border controls that are important to its reputation as a money hub and producing the suitable situations to resume quarantine-totally free journey with the mainland. China is still pursuing a rigorous Covid Zero coverage of striving to do away with all conditions, sending communities into lockdown over modest numbers of delicate bacterial infections.

When Lam acknowledged small business chambers had pushed for Hong Kong to scrap the mandatory seven-day hotel quarantine for incoming travellers, she explained she could not ease measures with no knowing the programs of her successor John Lee. 

If we had been to loosen up quarantine rules tomorrow, “but then in two weeks’ time the new federal government decided that potentially this essential to be reverted to a extra tightened strategy, that would create a great deal of confusion,” Lam explained.

Lee’s expression will get started on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from British to Chinese rule — a main party that President Xi Jinping is considered to be preparing to vacation to the metropolis to mark, if favorable conditions are satisfied. 

Lam did not affirm no matter if the city’s soaring case quantities would avoid the Chinese leader from browsing Hong Kong, a vacation that would mark his first outdoors mainland China since January 2020.

“We, of program, would like to have a cheerful atmosphere to rejoice the reunification,” she claimed.

 

This story has been revealed from a wire agency feed without modifications to the textual content. Only the headline has been changed.