Hong Kong's Sexist Attitudes Persist

Lee and his wife Janet attracted to the colour red

Women are on the Hong Kong government's mind these days.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu equated trying to seal some deals to attract mega events to the city was akin to chasing women.

In an interview with Sing Tao newspaper, Lee admitted there was stiff competition in trying to lure overseas performers to Hong Kong.

Last week Lo compared women's fertility to soil

"It's like how I used to chase girls. For the good ones, of course everybody will chase them, [we] must work hard and fight," he said in Cantonese.

Then Lee added he would not disclose their strategy of attracting big events to Hong Kong.

In the case of Lee's personal life, he was 22 years old when he chased his then girlfriend Janet Lam Lai-sin who became his wife at the age of 16 in 1980...

Then last week Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau compared female fertility to soil, in that they should not delay having children and that freezing their eggs now would not necessarily help them conceive either.

"It's not just a problem with the eggs, it is also a problem with the soil. Even if you have frozen your eggs, when you have reached 40, the chance that the egg could become a healthy baby will drop substantially," he said in Cantonese.

"Freezing the eggs could not revert the physiological limit on women's reproductive age," he added.

Lam said not all women can give birth early

Lo was immediately criticised by lawmaker Nixie Lam, who opted for assisted reproduction and gave birth to her first child last year, said his remarks were a "heavy blow" to all women in the city.

"The way the minister spoke just now, is it that I couldn't give birth because my soil was bad?" she asked. 

"I believe the minister's remarks would deal a heavy blow even to women without childbirth issues. You are telling them... they cannot get pregnant because the soil in their bodies is bad, and they should give birth naturally whilst they are still young," Lam continued.

"How can you give birth when you are 18 and still studying?" Lam said. "Not everyone is like the minister yourself, who met your match in your 20s, got your degree, got married and had a kid, all in a row."

How much more sexist can this administration get? Perhaps that's why they aren't attracting any big acts either? It is 2024, not 1980...

Combat Smoking by Staring

Does Hong Kong have a severe smoking problem?

According to statistics, 9.5 percent of the population or around 600,000 people light up; of them 50 percent are aged 50 and above. In Canada it's 13 percent of the population, and in the United States it's 11.5 percent.

The authorities say there is a rising number of women smoking, but this has always been the case, while 7 percent of secondary students have tried cigarettes.

In a bid to show his concern for young people, Secretary for Health Dr Lo Chung-mau has proposed banning Hongkongers born after a certain date from being able to buy cancer sticks.

"To protect our next generation from the harms of tobacco and to ensure the sustainability of our healthcare system, we need to draft strategies that keep up with the times," Lo said at a press briefing.

"As a doctor, I don't want our next generation to suffer from the harms of smoking and second-hand smoke."

Has the doctor seen the current smoking trend? It's already on a downward trend. In general there are fewer people smoking in the city which is a great thing, though it's harder to get middle-aged smokers to kick the habit. 

So what does Lo suggest the public do? The headline of The Standard says it all: "Health chief calls on citizens to stare at every smoker to establish a smoke-control culture."

Oops the headline was later revised to: "Health chief calls on citizens to stare smokers in non-designated areas to establish a smoke-control culture."

Why not just ban smoking or ban the import of all cigarettes? Oh wait the government reaps money from the taxes generated...

So the best Lo can come up with is getting the public to give the side eye to smokers. 

This is the best idea he can muster up? 

Oh wait this is the same administration that put up Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu as the front man to welcome people back in the "Happy Hong Kong' campaign... 

How is that going, by the way?

Woman Dies After Waiting 12 Hours at HK Hospital

Lo Chung-mau had visited the hospital in early February

There was a shocking report on Monday of a chronically ill patient who died in the washroom at the accident and emergency department of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital after waiting 12 hours for medical care.

The case was reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and a coroner is following up.

Lo touring the A&E holding area of the hospital

On Sunday night, around 11pm, the patient arrived at the A&E with a cough and fever, but would have to wait until 11.15am the next day before getting a medical assessment.

She was said to be on stable condition at the time.

But at the appointed time, at 12.30pm and 1.45pm, staff tried to locate her and was finally found at 4.30pm and certified dead at 5.06pm following resuscitation efforts. 

"The hospital met the patient's family members on Monday to explain the details of the incident and expressed condolences to family members. The hospital will offer the necessary help to family members," a spokesman said.

The authority could not explain why the woman could not be found, and added the washrooms are cleaned seven times a day.

Nevertheless, the average wait time at a public hospital in Hong Kong more than eight hours.

When asked to comment about the tragic case, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau acknowledged the long wait times.

Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital

"Waiting for such a long time is not ideal. It is mainly due to the shortage of medical staff. The government has been taking various measures to address this issue, such as the recent Greater Bay Area Healthcare Talents Exchange Programme, which have received positive feedback and have helped our healthcare system," he said.

Lo is stating the obvious which is hardly empathetic. 

And this shortage of medical staff was happening well before the pandemic! And now thanks to the national security law, and the developments post 2019 protests, some 1,200 doctors have left Hong Kong in the last three years.

Surely Lo has to step up recruitment efforts for more medical staff than just stating the obvious...

Mask Debate Continues in HK

Hongkongers continue to wear masks until at least March 8

Hong Kong is probably the only place on Earth where there is still a mask mandate in place.

China dropped its mandate when it went to zero-Covid, and today Macau has dropped its policy of wearing masks outside, unless visiting a hospital or taking public transport.

The Hong Kong government has extended the mask mandate until at least March 8, which means people attending the upcoming Clockenflap music festival March 3-5 must wear masks while enjoying live music outside...

Sridhar advises doing away with masks now

Hardly makes Hong Kong appealing, even if it brands itself as "Happy Hong Kong" in a bid to entice more visitors to the city.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has suggested that the mask mandate could be dropped by the "end of the season", which means the end of the financial year, (March 31).

However, Dr Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical assistant professor in microbiology at the University of Hong Kong said the city could scrap the mask mandate anytime, since the population had a high level of hybrid immunity.

"Mask-wearing could not fully prevent a Covid outbreak, as we can see from the fifth pandemic wave last year," he said. "As to preventing influenza, we have never relied on a mask mandate either."

Sridhar also argued an outbreak of influenza was inevitable regardless of when Hong Kong lifted the mask mandate, as the population had low immunity levels.

Nevertheless he did advise people to wear masks in public transportation and crowded indoor areas.

Lo claims masks prevent people from smoking

The fact that Hong Kong is still debating this issue shows there is no straight-forward exit plan -- that the government hadn't even considered lifting the mask mandate and would rather people keep wearing them.

Like Secretary for Health Dr Lo Chung-mau, who suggests the smoking population has decreased because of the necessity of wearing masks in public places.

"Over the last three years, the masks have helped us not only by controlling Covid-19, but also in reducing the number of smokers," he said.

How does that even make sense?

The government echoes his sentiment in this FAQ about wearing masks in public:

"Smokers are more likely to touch their mask and face with their hands during smoking, leading to increased chance of infection. Besides, smoking damages lungs and weakens immunity. Smokers who have contracted Covid-19 are more likely to develop severe complications. We appeal to members of the public to avoid smoking in public places, and to quit smoking whenever possible."

What a reason to quit smoking -- I couldn't light up cause I had to wear a mask outside.

HK Authorities Gaslighting and Other Travel Snags

Lee (middle) claims Covid-19 changes are not abrupt

The border between Hong Kong and China will finally be lifted on January 10, while from December 29, the city will follow the mainland with no mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on arrival, a complete scrapping of the Leave Home Safe app, and quarantine for close contacts.

Mask-wearing in public is the only thing that remains.

After years of "following the science", everything is suddenly scrapped, even though the infection numbers in Hong Kong have surged. When asked about this abrupt U-turn, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu thought the change in direction was anything but startling.

"We have always been preparing [ourselves] for normalisation," he said in a press conference. "I have to do it progressively, orderly and under control, so we can assess the risk and go on... It's not rapid. It's not sudden."

Lo says it's time to put onus on HK residents

Lee added about 2.5 million people had been infected with Covid-19 and the vaccination rate had reached 94 percent for two doses, so the pandemic risks were manageable.

However, government pandemic adviser David Hui Shu-cheong, who is a member of a chief executive-appointed advisory panel, said the group had not been consulted on the decision -- and warned the local healthcare system could be overburdened after the border reopened.

In an abrupt turn of face, Secretary for Health Dr Lo Chung-mau said it was time for Hong Kong residents to take on responsibility with regards to the pandemic.

"It's time for change -- from the government controlling the situation to handing over the responsibility and power of quarantine and infection prevention to residents. It's up to them to decide whether they have symptoms to see a doctor or take sick leave."

What?!

Tien worries about unvaccinated mainlanders

Since he was appointed this position on July 1, he has taken a patriarchal approach in saying the government knew best on how to deal with Covid-19 and insisted for example that people still had to use the Leave Home Safe app when his undersecretary admitted the information it had was not used by the authorities.

But lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun disagreed with the move to end the vaccine pass scheme. 

"If people coming from mainland China are not required to be fully vaccinated and enter restaurants after the border reopens, once the caseload increases, public hospitals will be full," Tien warned.

He said mainland visitors should be fully vaccinated just like other overseas arrivals.

Meanwhile upon hearing China is allowing its residents to travel from January 8, some countries like the United States, Japan and Italy have immediately insisted that not only mainland Chinese, but also those traveling from Hong Kong and Macau are not allowed into their countries without a negative test within two days of departure. 

Even if people from China, Hong Kong and Macau are travelling through a a third country they still have to submit a negative test.

Chinese need negative test to enter US, Italy

The reasoning is the concern that China hasn't been transparent with its data and it is unclear what kind of variants are in the country now. A news report said about 50 percent of mainlanders arriving in Milan tested positive for Covid-19.

Interestingly Canada has not joined the bandwagon -- yet -- or it is too scared to make Beijing grumble further.

Regardless this testing is prudent from an epidemiological perspective, but from a political one it looks like a tit-for-tat. 

Will this stop people from visiting the above-mentioned countries? 

In the case of Japan, it has upended the travel plans of numerous Hongkongers who have been dying to go to the Land of the Rising Sun, at first only allowing them to land in Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo, Kansai International Airport in Osaka, and Chuba Airport in Nagoya.

But now Hongkongers can land in three more places -- Hokkaido, and two airports in Okinawa.

Crisis averted -- for now. 

Nevertheless in the meantime, the Hong Kong government should really stop the gaslighting and start admitting they have to follow Beijing. We all know it, just admit it! 

Visitors Trickle into Hong Kong

Hong Kong Tourism Board is promoting the city again

While people are happy to see "0+0" or no restrictions when coming into Hong Kong -- provided you test negative upon arrival -- many are still leery of traveling to the city because of the other tests they need to do in the following days.

Even though the Hong Kong Tourism Board will be heavily promoting the city with its "Hello! Hong Kong" campaign, travel agencies are reporting prospective visitors are concerned about having to do the testing requirements.

Arrival numbers are still sluggish

"As long as there is the PCR and antigen [tests], it is kind of disheartening because [tourists] will always be afraid that if they have a positive result, they'll just be staying in the hotel" said Dolly Santos, president of Manila-based Golden Sky Travel and Tours.

Nevertheless, the tourism board is targeting Southeast Asian visitors. These short-haul flights account for 14,368 of the 80,524 travellers who visited Hong Kong in October, while 47,607 came from the mainland.

In November the number of visitors was 113,763, a 41 percent increase from the month previous. In 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number was 55.91 million.

But even if the tourism board tries to entice prospective travellers with incentives, there aren't necessarily enough planes to carry all these visitors, which is why ticket prices are high at the moment.

Ricky Tse Kam-ting, vice-chairman of the Travel Industry Council expects a growing number of the visitors will be business travellers, as for them the current situation is far better than what was in place before, and could only loosen further eventually.

Lo wants people to keep using the LHS app

He estimates that of the 80,000 travellers who came last month, about half were in Hong Kong for business, and the number could double to 80,000 by January.

So have people gleefully deleted the Leave Home Safe app from their phones in the last few days?

Secretary for Health Dr Lo Chung-mau is begging people not to.

He said people still need to show their vaccination record which is stored in the app, though they could also use the eHealth and iAM Smart app, though they sound just as pathetic as the Leave Home Safe app...

Good News and Bad News

Victor Chen perfectly encapsulates Leave Home Safe app

I was going to write that Hong Kong was the last place on earth to mandate using a Covid-19 tracking app, but just a few hours ago the government has decided residents don't need to scan the dreaded QR codes everywhere they go, but must show their vaccination records at restaurants.

Not only that -- when people arrive in the city and test negative, they are free to go anywhere they wish -- no more getting takeaway food and staying at home for three days. 

The Hang Seng Index immediately shot up to over 19,000 points upon news of the announcement.

Lo looks silly for defending the unnecessary app

Secretary for Health Dr Lo Chung-mau will have to explain himself on why he was so insistent that the Leave Home Safe app was here to stay forever when the winds across the mainland were about to change. Did he not get the memo or was he trying to keep up the appearance that Hong Kong was on a different track than China?

Christmas and New Years is going to be bustling business for Hong Kong, but restaurants and retail have been badly battered by the last three years, some barely surviving, others going gangbusters.

Now the next question is when the border between the mainland and Hong Kong will reopen, and at this rate one may assume before Chinese New Year (January 22). 

Another person desperately trying to show his faithfulness to Beijing is Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung. He accused Google of "double standards" when the tech giant refused to ensure the Chinese national anthem is at the top of the search result following several blunders in international rugby matches where they played the 2019 protest song Glory to Hong Kong instead of the Chinese anthem, March of the Volunteers.

Tang insists that Google obey HK government

"Google claimed it could not accede to our request because [the search results are determined by] algorithm and it cannot do anything with it," he said. "But it has been widely known that anyone who wants their information to be seen by more people could spend money on adverts to get their posts promoted. The claim by Google that its hands are tied is incomprehensible and I am sure Hongkongers would find it unacceptable."

Why not spend money on buying adverts on Google then? The Hong Kong Tourism Board has been desperately throwing money around to promote the city as being back in business...

Or as activist investor David Webb has suggested, as Hong Kong has its own flag and currency, why not give the city its own anthem? 

Tang's flogging a dead horse -- time to move on. No one is listening.

Meanwhile it is heartening to hear the former editor-in-chief of the now defunct Stand News is out on bail after being remanded in custody for almost a year on sedition charges.

Ex-Stand News chief editor now out on bail

Chung Pui-kuen, 53, paid HK$100,000 cash bail with a surety from his brother of HK$50,000 after the judge assessed Chung would not be a national security threat.

However his travel documents were suspended and he is not allowed to give media interviews. 

His lawyer, Senior Counsel Audrey Eu Yuet-mee said in court that Chung would not be a flight risk as his wife, Chan Pui-man was also remanded in custody regarding the now defunct Apple Daily on charges of collusion with foreign forces.

Chung's colleague, former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, 35, and Stand News' holding company Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited are accused of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. Lam was granted bail last month.

But things are getting worse for Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of the defunct Apple Daily.

Lai's NSL trial not until September 2023

He was sentenced to 69 months (five years and nine months) and a HK$2 million fine for breaching a commercial lease contract that somehow has morphed into criminal fraud. 

Not only that, he has received word that his national security trial won't be heard until September next year, as the Hong Kong government is waiting on Beijing for an interpretation of legislation on whether Lai is allowed to have foreign representation in court.

Meanwhile his son Sebastien, who is based in Taiwan, is calling on the UK government to take action, as his father is a UK national.

"My dad is a British citizen who has done nothing wrong. I call on the UK Government to take urgent action to protect my dad immediately and secure his freedom. The UK must do all it can to stop this, and do it now," he wrote in a statement.

Unfortunately Lai is at the bottom of the UK government's to-do list but will Lai make it through mentally and physically? Not everyone has his patience and determination.

Hong Kong, China Still Hanging Onto Zero-Covid

Use of the Leave Home Safe app may not last much longer

Hong Kong may soon take another step forward to becoming "normal" when it ends the use of the Leave Home Safe app, which contained the user's vaccination record as well as every place they went to provided they scanned QR codes at each location.

The announcement was made by Undersecretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun on Friday, a day after the government announced infected residents and close contacts would be quarantined for five days instead of seven.

"Hong Kong is on the path to normality. We don't want to roll back measures. Residents will not need to use the 'Leave Home Safe' app and vaccine pass eventually. It is just a matter of time."

Lee admits the app isn't used to track infections

She even admitted the government rarely used the app to track contacts of Covid-19 patients as infections surged. But Lee also stressed social-distancing measures could not be relaxed yet with the increased number of infected cases.

However, her superior, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the app would not be cancelled anytime soon even though Beijing began easing restrictions, including not needing a negative test to use public transport.

"The health code system on the mainland is nothing like our 'Leave Home Safe' app and vaccine pass scheme," he said. "We won't simply cancel these measures because the mainland did so.

"These measures have played an important role in controlling the pandemic, especially the vaccine pass scheme. It's the reason why we have a high vaccination rate."

Perhaps it's because people need to eat and shop so they have no choice but to use the app?

Lo says app won't be given up just yet

While Beijing has probably eased restrictions in Hong Kong to use it as a guinea pig to see what would happen, China has started to loosen up -- just a tiny bit -- but it has a long way to go.

The country still can't afford to open up right away, which is why there are projections China may open up as early as late 2023 or even early 2024. More people need to be vaccinated -- but with mRNA vaccines that Beijing still hasn't admitted to be used to inoculate its citizens.

In the meantime articles in state media are starting to talk about how being infected with the Covid-19 virus is nothing to be scared about, that one could be cured in hospital quite easily or even just several days rest at home.

But it's been drilled into Chinese people's heads that the virus and its variants are deadly and it will take some time before everyone is less paranoid about the coronavirus.

The Hong Kong and Chinese governments have used the Covid social-distancing measures and forced use of the Leave Home Safe app as a form of control, which they have effectively used for almost three years, but they aren't quite ready to completely relinquish it.

Zero-Covid is still the goal, and both authorities will drag things out as long as possible to justify the means to an end...

Quote of the Day: "One-Way Ticket to Hell"

Health secretary Lo (left) and Lee at press conference yesterday

Soon after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the end of hotel quarantine -- but three days of self-monitoring, which actually means seven days of rapid antigen tests and four PCR tests, no restaurants or crowded areas -- he faced the media who had some accountability questions.

Cable TV asked: "Have we now chosen to 'live with the virus'? Does this go against the central government? We have also heard 'living with the virus' is a one-way ticket to hell."

Zunzi cartoon with "going to hell together" at back

Lee's response: "We want to reduce the number of infections. Same as the mainland."

But...

"The Hong Kong SAR government has considered all factors," he continued. 

"What if there's a new variant? We don't have a crystal ball. We are confident we can contain the infection numbers at a reasonable rate currently," he said. "We don't want to backtrack."

Well, neither do we.

Though other social-distancing restrictions are still in place, such as conducting RAT tests before entering bars, and for eating in restaurants in groups larger than eight, live performances and dancing still not allowed, and of course use the LeaveHomeSafe app to enter premises.

Still want to come to Hong Kong?

Covid-19 Priorities in China, Hong Kong

Firefighter getting a PCR test, with wildfires burning nearby

Imagine you're a firefighter in Chongqing, Sichuan province, and there are wildfires just outside the city in the mountains.

So you and your fire brigade rush to the area -- only to be forced to take PCR tests for Covid-19 first.

Even though the forests are burning in the distance since August 2 caused by the heatwave there, fighting the pandemic takes priority.

One would think being outside and wearing oxygen masks there would not be the need to be tested for Covid-19.

But that's China's zero-Covid policy.

Lo scaremongering the public in Hong Kong

While Hong Kong doesn't have wildfires, its authorities are trying to scaremonger its residents into staying at home and locking themselves in their own homes until the pandemic is over.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau gave such a warning in yesterday's press conference. 

"We cannot promise that there may not be other social-distancing measures. In fact if you look at the whole world, there are different emerging diseases coming up, from SARS to the avian flu, we have different Ebola viruses, we have different emerging diseases coming up, and then this Covid came out two and a half years ago. Nobody would imagine it would stay for so long. and now we also have the monkey pox," he says, piling on a laundry list of viruses. 

"So there is no reason that the government can promise that we would not introduce other measures to control emerging infectious diseases," he continues. 

"Covid is still mutating, we are seeing new mutants coming up and in case there is a more virulent Covid coming up, mutant coming up, we cannot guarantee there will not be other social-distancing measures to control the pandemic or a new emerging disease."

If you are someone who doesn't have friends overseas telling you the Omicron strain is not that severe if as long as you are vaccinated, or if you don't read the news reports from other countries explaining the mutated virus is more transmissible but less severe -- you would be so terrified of even opening your door and going outside your home.

Then on top of that 30 percent of Hong Kong's elderly population over 80 have not even been vaccinated. Lo admitted as much. 

"If they contract Covid, the mortality rate is in the region of 16 percent. And we have to learn from history, in the fifth wave, we do suffer a serious situation with a high mortality of over 9,000 deaths. And the whole public health system is overworked," he says. 

"So I would urge you -- anyone who said that we can easily lift with the virus now as other countries I would submit I cannot agree with that as a responsible government we have to protect the health of our people, even though they are elderly, every life matters."

One can surmise that Lo is saying the entire Hong Kong population is being held hostage by these elderly people who refuse to get jabbed. 

What a responsible and caring government... one that is willing to slash and burn its own economy, its next generation and its future by continuing to shut Hong Kong down for the sake of the elderly.

It's a message not many people aren't going to understand and accept...

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...

China Health Codes Come to HK

The dreaded LeaveHomeSafe app now includes health codes

People in Hong Kong hate the LeaveHomeSafe app. 

Users have to upload their vaccination records on it -- and those who still haven't been vaccinated aren't able to enter any restaurant to dine in, cut their hair, go to the pub and so on. They can only order takeout. And there are a lot of people in this category.

When the app first came out there were concerns it would be modelled similar to the Chinese health code, where when it shows a green colour, the person has not been infected and allowed to move around the city as they please; yellow means a person may be asked to stay home for seven days; and red is a two-week quarantine.

Only yellow and red health codes will be used

In China people have no choice but to use this app if they want to get around the city and do the most basic things like buy groceries, banking and work.

There were concerns the government could abuse this health code and that happened recently in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan province in central China.

Protesters occupied the front of a state-owned bank as they were unable to access their accounts since mid April. In a bid to try to control these people, the authorities turned the protesters' health codes red so they were unable to gather at the bank and instead were sent off to quarantine.

A few days later Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau announced Hong Kong was mulling the possibility of adopting the mainland's health code system, and now Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has given a few more details.

Apparently the health code in Hong Kong will only feature yellow and red, yellow for all incoming passengers, while red means the person is infected and must stay home or go to the hospital for treatment. 

Lo announced the possible move a few days ago

When the media asked about the Henan situation where the health code was abused, Lee replied the government will tackle "misinformation".

"We will make sure that we'll well-explain the scope and the method so that people understand why we do it, what benefits they gain, and what are the concerns they do not have to really bother, because there may be some misinformation, which we need to address very quickly so that everybody knows what we are doing," he said.

Better yet he said the health code would only affect a small number of people...

Where have we heard that before?

But it will affect a lot of people because over half the Hong Kong population is believed to have had Covid-19 at some point, and/or they know people who were infected with the virus.

In addition, those who are infected with Covid-19 will have to wear an electronic bracelet when they undergo home quarantine to ensure they don't leave to go out during the isolation period.

"We have to make sure that home isolation is more precise while being humane," Lo said, announcing the new requirement would begin on Monday.

If someone breaches the mandatory home isolation order, the perpetrator could pay a fine of up to HK$25,000 (US$3,200) and up to six months in jail.

Not even two weeks into Lee's new position and already the mainlandisation of Hong Kong is happening even faster under the guise of the pandemic...

Differing Vaccine Strategies

Hong Kong has consistently encouraged people to get jabbed

Today is the 900th day Hong Kong has dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic. 

What a milestone.

The city recorded 2,791 cases yesterday, with hospitalisations and critical care cases climbing steeply.

In this context the new Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says Hong Kong is mulling adopting the health code now used on the mainland and Macau.

Lo considering China health code system in HK

He said the measure was justified, as the government was looking for ways to avoid further tightening of social-distancing measures.

Just another step in dragging Hong Kong closer to the mainland...

Meanwhile in British Columbia where the population is 5.2 million compared to Hong Kong's 7.3 million, the former reported 765 cases from June 26-July 2. The week before it was 620 cases.

There is also a steep 35 percent jump in hospitalisations compared to the week earlier.

In BC 91 percent of residents have had two shots.

In Hong Kong anyone can get inoculated anytime as long as they book an appointment online, and they are strongly advised to get the fourth dose.

British Columbia is taking a bizarre approach -- Dr Penny Ballem, head of the province's immunisation program announced yesterday that the big push for the fourth shot would launch in the fall, when the current third wave of Omicron is at its highest. 

People below 70 wait until fall for 2nd booster

It is believed at that time the newest vaccines will be available, which can not only fight the newest variants, but also the original Covid-19.

Only those who are 70 years old and older are eligible to get the second booster now, while the rest of us have to wait, which is very frustrating.

Some people have taken to social media to complain that they need the fourth shot now because they have immunocompromised parents who they look after or live with, or they themselves have health issues, or they just want to get the vaccine in their arm for some assurances they will be OK if they are infected.

Why can't people who want to have the second booster, get it before the third Omicron wave is at its highest?

But BC health authorities are ignoring these people, and instead want those who haven't had their first booster to do that. Every other province in Canada is encouraging people to get their second booster.

However, the BC government had to dump 200,000 doses of the vaccine because some people didn't want their third or fourth shots...

Ballem says third Omicron wave is in BC

Many people in BC are over Covid-19 even though this latest strain is more contagious; health authorities are highly recommending masks indoors in places like supermarkets and public transit, and washing hands thoroughly and often.

And with summer sort of here (it keeps raining periodically and temperatures are hardly scorching), people even more so don't want to wear a mask.

Hello? What about the rest of us who want that fourth dose now?

It boggles the mind... at least in Hong Kong vaccines are readily available regardless of which dose you're on. They would rather you have a vaccine in your arm than none at all. 

And those of us who had our shots in December and January, Dr Horatio Bach, a UBC clinical assistant professor says those who have only had two shots offered "very little or zero protection" against Omicron BA.5 variant in Israel where second boosters were rolled out in January.

I'd rather have a fourth and then fifth shot soon after than have to wait another until the fall.

Or am I being overly cautious?

Staying the Covid-19 Course

Lee says Hong Kong will not "lie flat" when it comes to Covid

In Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's first question and answer session in the Legislative Council, he said that Hong Kong would not "lie flat", nor would it live with the Covid-19 virus, echoing the mainland's dynamic zero Covid policy.

"Regarding anti-epidemic strategies, I do not agree with lying flat, allowing infection numbers to increase arbitrarily, as there will be risks of serious and fatal case numbers increasing proportionally, when the base number increases," Lee said Wednesday.

He echoed Xi's policy of dynamic zero Covid

Lee said Hong Kong would continue as before, detecting cases early by using PCR testing, and then isolating and treating them as soon as possible, while ruling out more travel curbs.

He added the new Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau is looking into possibly reducing the length of time in quarantine.

In his address to lawmakers, Lee said Hong Kong should "pay the smallest price for the biggest effect" in stopping case numbers from rising. They are currently at around 2,000 per day.

The former security chief's language was very similar to President Xi Jinping's, in saying that "herd immunity" and "lying flat" would risk too many lives in the most populous country in the world.

More PCR tests in Hong Kong, no relief in sight

Nevertheless, as Lee continues to tow the line set by his predecessor Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong residents didn't have much to hope for in terms of any light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel. 

So the chances of Hong Kong ever opening up might be in 2023? Lee has said border talks with the mainland would be "pragmatic"... whatever that means...