WEBVTT - Linda Lew on HK Quarantine (Audio)

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<v Speaker 1>And minutes here before the top of the hour, let's

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<v Speaker 1>get to Linda Leeu, Bloomberg Consumer and Health reporter is

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<v Speaker 1>with us to talk a little bit more about the

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<v Speaker 1>reopening here in Hong Kong. Linda, so we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>see a big jump in in bookings for air travel

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<v Speaker 1>and people will be coming back at to Hong Kong.

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<v Speaker 1>But let's talk a little bit about some of the

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<v Speaker 1>restrictions that remain. For instance, those people flying back don't

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<v Speaker 1>have to have a PCR test before they board the

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<v Speaker 1>flight to come back here, they will have to take

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<v Speaker 1>a PCR test once once they get here, a COVID

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<v Speaker 1>test uh, and then after that what happens. Yes, so

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<v Speaker 1>removing the pre flight's PCR testing was a big perk

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<v Speaker 1>for travelers since it's actually been getting harder and harder

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<v Speaker 1>to get those tests and the rest of the world.

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<v Speaker 1>And now once you get into Hong Kong, you do

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<v Speaker 1>a PCR test on arrival, and then for the next

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<v Speaker 1>a week or so you will have to do an

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<v Speaker 1>r A T test every day. And then for the

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<v Speaker 1>first three days we will have a so called Amber

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<v Speaker 1>code on the Hong Kong's UM contact tracing app called

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<v Speaker 1>Leave Home safe, and then on this app your quote

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<v Speaker 1>will come up as amber. That means you cannot go

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<v Speaker 1>into restaurants and other high risk places such as hospitals

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<v Speaker 1>and elderly care homes for three days. And then after

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<v Speaker 1>that your code will turn blue. That means you'll be

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<v Speaker 1>able to have um more freedom to move around the city. Linda,

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<v Speaker 1>this is you know, so many rules and regulations. We

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<v Speaker 1>had similar in Singapore, but it was ditched a very

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<v Speaker 1>long time ago. What is the likelihood that these restrictions

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<v Speaker 1>do ease further in the coming months and what does

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<v Speaker 1>that mean for the full reopening of Hong Kong. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>we've actually have UM have had a lot of voices

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<v Speaker 1>calling for a full removal of restrictions. The representatives from

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<v Speaker 1>Hong Kong Investment funds, Associations, UM AM CHAM, they've all

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<v Speaker 1>said that while you know, the relaxation announced on Friday

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<v Speaker 1>is a welcome move, they would like to see are

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<v Speaker 1>more easing, So that would mean getting rid of the

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<v Speaker 1>testing as well as UM possibly removing the ambico so

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<v Speaker 1>that means people can go into public places as soon

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<v Speaker 1>as they arrive in the city. But we do have

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<v Speaker 1>some pushback from the Health Secretary here in Hong Kong

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<v Speaker 1>uh Loch Hong Mao. He said in the TV program

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<v Speaker 1>on Sunday that a full path to resume normality is

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<v Speaker 1>going to be challenging because of the need to prevent

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<v Speaker 1>new variants coming into the city. So one of the

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<v Speaker 1>issues is if you come back here and you let's

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<v Speaker 1>say you were positive, and you test positive at at

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<v Speaker 1>the airport, where will you go? Then? Is there any

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<v Speaker 1>choice involved? Will it be a government facility or a

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<v Speaker 1>government backed hotel? And who covers the cost? Okay? Uh?

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<v Speaker 1>Those are those are some immediate questions that I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure have been totally answered. Yeah. So, um, under the

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<v Speaker 1>current rules, Um, there's already being a more flexibility flexibility

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<v Speaker 1>for people who test positive. Previously, if you arrive into

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<v Speaker 1>Hong Kong and you test positive, you're sent to a

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<v Speaker 1>centralized isolation facility that's one of the quarantine hotels, or

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<v Speaker 1>you get sent to the notorious Penny's Bay. But right now, actually, um,

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<v Speaker 1>the government will allow you to isolate at the hotel

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<v Speaker 1>that you have booked. Of course, that's depending on what

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<v Speaker 1>hotels are going to do, whether they will um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>upgrade their existing facilities to be able to accommodate that.

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<v Speaker 1>And for Hong Kong residents, those who already have homes

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<v Speaker 1>in the city, you will be able to isolate at

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<v Speaker 1>home if that's your choosing. UM. Then of course, if

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<v Speaker 1>you are living with families or other members that are

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<v Speaker 1>high risk to the virus, you are able to opt

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<v Speaker 1>to isolate at the government facility of your choosing. We

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<v Speaker 1>had a report last week showing Singapore has now overtaken

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<v Speaker 1>Hong Kong to become Asia's top financial center, and we

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<v Speaker 1>know there's an exodus of residence still too because of

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<v Speaker 1>these strict rules. How much do you think that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of plays into authorities thinking when you have this competition

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<v Speaker 1>in Hong Kong really wants to regain that mantral I think, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>with the opinions that's been coming out from the Hong

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<v Speaker 1>Kong business community, that would probably be the biggest concern

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<v Speaker 1>for the government to take these steps to ease UM.

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<v Speaker 1>You've already seen the banking sector saying that you know,

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<v Speaker 1>if the quarantine restrictions don't ease UM, that's going to

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<v Speaker 1>put a damper on this flagship financial industry. Summer in

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<v Speaker 1>November as well as the UM popular sporting events, the

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<v Speaker 1>rugby sevens that's also going to happen in the same month.

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<v Speaker 1>And of course, um, you've had the Hong Kong Investment

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<v Speaker 1>Funds Association chief executive saying that you know, if Hong

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<v Speaker 1>Kong doesn't basically take the steps to remove restrictions to

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<v Speaker 1>be on par with other financial centers, it's going to

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<v Speaker 1>continue to lose attractiveness to talent. On the test that

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<v Speaker 1>people take every day, the rat tests for the first

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<v Speaker 1>week after they come in, how will that be monitored

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<v Speaker 1>and how will the government be able to uh conclude

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<v Speaker 1>that they are legitimate? So the government has I think

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<v Speaker 1>set up mechanisms for people to upload rat tests and

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<v Speaker 1>I think the plan is to um eventually make a

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<v Speaker 1>compulsory UM. I think those are the plans and the works.

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<v Speaker 1>And again that's going to add to the burden of

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<v Speaker 1>people who are traveling, and it's just one more thing

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<v Speaker 1>to have to do every day, you know, when you

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<v Speaker 1>wake up and try to go about your day, but

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<v Speaker 1>you have to do these tests. Yep, it is a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's see though, in terms of how much optimism we

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<v Speaker 1>are seeing on the reopening. Understand, Cathay Pacific's website came

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<v Speaker 1>under a bit of a rush of flight searchers Friday.

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<v Speaker 1>What other kind of moves are we seeing and can

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<v Speaker 1>the city's airports start to handle the influx? Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 1>think UM the government has been making preparations for the

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<v Speaker 1>increased UM number of travelers. They actually held some drills

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<v Speaker 1>several weeks ago when these moves started to happen, basically

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<v Speaker 1>testing the city's UM high speed UH high speed UM

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<v Speaker 1>subway to aligned to the airport. And we've also seen

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<v Speaker 1>photos basically of infection workers kind of commemorating their laugh

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<v Speaker 1>last shifts UM in their capacity as UM people that

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<v Speaker 1>take care of all of these are on arrival testing

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<v Speaker 1>and other requirements. So those workforce are being scaled down.

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<v Speaker 1>So hopefully the government will have UM the mechanisms in

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<v Speaker 1>place to facilitate a big rush of travelers. Alright, just

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<v Speaker 1>great to have you. Bryan's got a quick one. No,

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<v Speaker 1>I think we're out of time, unfortunately, but it is

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<v Speaker 1>a fascinating subject. And Linda thanks very much. Stooles. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>Linden Limberg Consumer and Health Report out with us in

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<v Speaker 1>Hong Kong