HK govt introduces toughest pandemic control measures yet

The Hong Kong government has introduced more pandemic control measures yesterday, including extending the vaccine pass to a number of premises including shopping centres, department stores, and supermarkets, to name a few. It has also introduced a cap on public gatherings, tightening to two people but families with more than two members are exempted. Gatherings of more than two households are also banned even in private places. Chief executive Carrie Lam said she hoped that the public realise the time "has come for Hong Kong to take some tough measures and every measure that we now introduce has been undertaken in other jurisdictions."

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to some shopping mall operations in the city, and all of them said they are still studying the latest measures. However, a source told us that many malls haven't got any solution yet. A spokesman from supermarket Wellcome said, "We are aware of the new measures announced by the government yesterday. In light of the recent COVID-19 development, our top priority is the health and safety of our team members, customers and business partners. We will continue to cooperate with the disease prevention measures suggested by the government, and will make necessary arrangements that will be convenient to our customers."

Meanwhile, a source from another affected business told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that as the government does not require them to proactively check customers' vaccination document, they will stick to the government's requirement.

Currently Hong Kong has one of the most stringent pandemic control measures in the world, which have already spurred some foreign businesses to quit the city. Travel restrictions in Hong Kong are pushing members of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) away as more than half of respondents said they would leave the city, while the majority of businesses felt the government was “unconcerned” or “dismissive” about business concerns. In its 2022 Business Sentiment Survey Report, AmCham examined a wide array of issues among its members. Around 53% of respondents said the restrictions related to the pandemic had spurred them to leave Hong Kong. Only 10% of them said they were "less unlikely" and "much less likely" to leave the city.

Hong Kong’s international travel restrictions to contain COVID-19 weighed heavily on both company and personal sentiment. With six out of 10 businesses based in Hong Kong as part of the global or regional headquarters, hefty quarantine rules and travel restrictions continued are said to be creating “significant disruptions” in offices outside Hong Kong. Over 30% of respondents had to delay new investments in Hong Kong, and 30% struggled to fill senior executive roles.

(Photo courtesy: 123rf) 

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