HK Quarantine-Free by November?

If no need for quarantine, then these containers are for who?

Wow is there really light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel?

New Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau is suggesting that quarantine measures could be lifted by November -- just in time for a government-sponsored bankers summit in a bid to keep and lure finance types to Hong Kong.

During that time there is also supposed to be the wildly popular and alcohol-soaked Rugby Sevens tournament... but no details as of yet.

Others are mortified that November is way to far off...

Lo says quarantine-free arrival with conditions

Nevertheless, Lo told the South China Morning Post that as Hong Kong is under the "one country, two systems" principle, the territory does not and has not followed the mainland's Covid-19 protocols and policies.

He said while there is the possibility of quarantine-free arrivals into Hong Kong, there will be conditions attached, but they were not outlined. Presumably it could involve a battery of tests or reporting daily to health workers?

Meanwhile Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has established his advisory panel on the pandemic. There are some familiar faces like David Hui Shu-cheong, Gabriel Leung, and Yuen Kwok-yung, while new ones are Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, Wallace Lau Chak-sing, and Lau Yu-lung.

Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had four advisors, and now Lee has six. As we saw over two and a half years, each expert had their own opinion and that was already bad enough with four, and now there are two more?

Leung stays on despite going to HKJC

Interesting that Gabriel Leung stays on, as he has a new job at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

It will be interesting to see if Lee keeps a tight leash on these advisors or if they will all tow the same line or not speak at all?

And in other health news -- don't eat too much dim sum! There's a lot of salt in those bamboo steamer baskets!

The Centre for Food Safety tested 120 dim sum samples from 50 restaurants and found the sodium content of shrimp siu mai, spring rolls with shrimp, and steamed minced beef balls were relatively high.

Christine Wong, the centre's controller, said for example, an adult could effectively consume around one-third of the daily sodium intake by just having shrimp siu mai and a shrimp spring roll dish.

She advises people to eat less dim sum and for restaurants to provide sauces on the side and in smaller portions.

Shrimp siu mai has a lot of sodium in it

With inflation skyrocketing, surely there are fewer people eating out there days, and then the Covid-19 social-distancing restrictions too.

And this news is just what restaurants need -- fewer people patronising the food and beverage industry when they are still trying to recover from the pandemic...