How is life in Hong Kong right now?

[El Presidente]

For our members in Hong Kong, let us know how things are travelling. I receive updates every few days from friends there and things seem uneasy at best. It is one of my favourite cities in the world. 

Fill us in as to how you are seeing things right now and how you are coping. 

[Meklown]

Thanks for your concern prez!

We're in the midst of the 3rd wave of the covid infections. While we are still comparatively low in terms of infections per population (as compared to other cities/countries around the world), we are seeing above 100 locally transmitted cases these few weeks. Thankfully it has gone slightly down these past few days, but nothing can be taken for granted unless the downward trend maintains for another couple of weeks at least.

This prompted the latest set of restrictions, including mandatory masks everywhere, no dine-in after 6pm, maximum size of public gatherings limited to 2 pax. It is obviously a blow to local businesses who have been struggling for more than a year (since the protests last year). Many of the local eateries are closing down as they simply do not make enough to even pay the rent. Companies have started to go back to a work from home mode after being generally 100% back to office between May and June. 

Locals are blaming this 3rd wave on the government for having not enforcing the quarantine measures for those coming from overseas. We had many days of 0 locally transmitted cases before this and it is suspected that this wave started from people coming back from overseas but breaking quarantine measures. There is also a bit of concern that the government was not prepared for this wave, and did not increase the number of available hospital / isolation beds. They scrambled for a solution in the past few days and have managed to convert an exhibition hall into some bed spaces for low priority cases, but luckily we have not had to utilise that so far. The HK government even invited testing teams from mainland China to help with the testing capabilities, and this obviously did not sit well with segments of the HK population politically. There are conspiracy theories that these are agents from Beijing who are here to spy on us, but frankly, it is my opinion that the govt is trying to help control the virus and help save lives, and any help from any where would be good. I do not agree with the politicising of the attempt to save people's lives. However, I know some people would rather die than have the govt spy on them.

On a social level, I would say that there is general adherence to the social distancing restrictions. HK was hit badly during SARS, and citizens are pretty paranoid about coronaviruses. I thought that we were a bit too paranoid in the beginning (we were the first to do the toilet paper dash), but now I see the sense in being safer rather than sorry. The government has also done as much as it could to avoid a total lockdown, and it is helped by the population being generally responsible. 

My personal thoughts is that this lockdown / restriction easing cycle will keep oscillating forever, until either 
1. The population gets vaccinated 
2. The population gains crowd immunity
3. People stop caring and start going back to work
This will happen everywhere in the world (I heard there are some reinstated restrictions in South Korea, Sydney, Beijing, Spain etc), and who knows? Maybe the first country to obtain crowd immunity can fully open its borders and go back to business as usual and benefit from an economic perspective quicker?

 

For me personally, life is pretty okay. Family and friends have largely not been affected, while I am back to working from home. I am lucky to be in a company where the impact of the economic difficulties is limited (2% YoY reduction for 2019/20 revenue) so fingers crossed I will still be employed. I'm bummed that it's almost 6 months since I managed to travel, but I recognise that I am already more fortunate than most. Hopefully this entire situation will cross soon. 

[nKostyan]

Have the mass protests and riots stopped?

[KavalanWhisky]

1 hour ago, nKostyan said:

Have the mass protests and riots stopped?

For now yes, the riots have stopped for a few months but there were peaceful protests in shopping centres where large groups were gathering and singing songs but since the new security law passed they have basically stopped as everyone would just be arrested.

 

[Andy04]

I was up there in February and stayed up in the New Territories.

I was astounded by the amount of general damage that had been done by the rioting, especially towards the MRT and in residential areas.

 

HK is one of the greatest cities in the world, so I hope for the residents sake that things return to normality sooner rather than later.

[El Presidente]

20 hours ago, Meklown said:

Thanks for your concern prez!

 

Great write up. Thank you 

[JohnnyO]

Meklown...you can bet the farm that the mainland is sending their spies to monitor the situation. When Cuba sends doctors, delegates, sports teams around the world just as many spies accompany them. Sometimes even more. When I used to fly Cubana there would be the typical crew on board and an additional uniformed 6 males that seemed to have no function. They were there to listen to conversations and meddle in peoples business. I'm sure you will be getting much of the same. Wonderful info on your part. John

[Meklown]

17 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Meklown...you can bet the farm that the mainland is sending their spies to monitor the situation. When Cuba sends doctors, delegates, sports teams around the world just as many spies accompany them. Sometimes even more. When I used to fly Cubana there would be the typical crew on board and an additional uniformed 6 males that seemed to have no function. They were there to listen to conversations and meddle in peoples business. I'm sure you will be getting much of the same. Wonderful info on your part. John

Frankly I don't think China needs such a flimsy and public cover to put agents in HK. Their reach into HK is already very extensive and I'm sure they already have agents of all sorts and in all areas by now, that's why I personally doubt they would have sent some disguised as medics in this instance! 

Take for example the latest national security law - as part of that, China has the legal right to now send agents to HK to help to enforce this law. They don't really need to come in disguises any more! 

Having said that, I have felt little to no difference in daily life since that law was passed. I'm just an average guy and they would be arresting half of HK before they even consider me ..