Hong Kong eases quarantine amid angst over ‘zero COVID’ isolation The international financial centre will lift bans on flights from nine countries and cut quarantine from April 1. Al Jazeera · Mar 21, 2022
Hong Kong to lift flight bans, cut quarantine for arrivals Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam said Monday that the city would lift flight bans on nine countries including Britain and the U.S. on April 1 The Independent UK · Mar 21, 2022
Hong Kong to ease strict COVID curbs after business backlash Hong Kong plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine and reopening schools, after a backlash from business and residents. Reuters · Mar 21, 2022
Hong Kong will review COVID-19 restrictions as cases decline Hong Kong’s leader says the government will consider lifting strict social distancing measures as new COVID-19 infections in the city continue trending downward The Independent UK · Mar 20, 2022
Hong Kong closes beaches in heatwave to prevent overcrowding as Covid rates rise The city’s leader Carrie Lam confirmed earlier this week that beaches would close today, following overcrowding over the weekend. Daily Mirror · Mar 17, 2022
Hong Kong leader to review COVID restrictions in coming days Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Thursday she would review COVID restrictions in the coming days, as she understands people are increasingly impatient with rules that have isolated the international financial centre and hurt business. Reuters · Mar 17, 2022
Hong Kong leader says scope to further delay chief executive election Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday that there were no plans to further tighten COVID-19 rules as the city battles to contain an escalating outbreak but said a chief executive election, set for May, had scope to be further delayed. Reuters · Mar 16, 2022
Hong Kong rules out tightening COVID curbs for now as death toll soars Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday there were no plans to tighten strict social distancing measures as the Chinese-ruled territory battles to contain a coronavirus surge that has submerged its health system amid soaring deaths. Reuters · Mar 14, 2022
Covid hasn't peaked yet, says HK leader HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Saturday that the city’s Covid-19 outbreak wasn’t yet past its peak despite recent daily case numbers showing a slight levelling off. Bangkok Post · Mar 12, 2022
Hong Kong leader Lam says city not yet past COVID peak Hong Kong reported 27,647 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with city leader Carrie Lam saying the outbreak was not yet past its peak despite recent daily case numbers slightly levelling off. Reuters · Mar 12, 2022
Hong Kong leader plans to reopen city only after controlling latest COVID outbreak Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Thursday it was not the time to lift a ban on flights from nine countries including the United States and Britain, with plans to reopen the city only after the government controls a deepening coronavirus outbreak. Reuters · Mar 10, 2022
Hong Kong leader says no fixed time frame for mass testing Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says reducing the skyrocketing number of deaths in the latest coronavirus surge is the city’s priority, putting a plan to test the entire population on hold in the latest flip-flop in the government’s pandemic response The Independent UK · Mar 9, 2022
Hong Kong leader urges suitable timing for mass testing effort Compulsory mass testing for coronavirus would be useful but needs to be done at a suitable time, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday, following anxiety among the 7.4 million residents of the financial hub bracing for a citywide lockdown. Reuters · Mar 9, 2022
Key Hong Kong businessman urges clear govt messages amid COVID lockdown fears The international reputation of Hong Kong as a financial hub has been "very damaged", prominent businessman and government adviser Allan Zeman said on Wednesday, as authorities' confusing messages over their coronavirus strategy spread alarm. Reuters · Mar 2, 2022
Al Jazeera · Mar 1, 2022 Hong Kong’s leader urges calm as lockdown fears spur panic buying Residents strip supermarket shelves bare amid fears of compulsory isolation and family separations.
Reuters · Mar 1, 2022 Hong Kong residents empty supermarkets ahead of city-wide lockdown Hong Kong residents braced for a city-wide lockdown, emptying supermarkets and pharmacies, even as leader Carrie Lam called for calm on Tuesday and appealed for the public not to worry over a compulsory mass COVID-19 testing plan.
Reuters · Mar 1, 2022 Hong Kong leader calls for calm, after supermarkets emptied ahead of mass COVID testing Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam called for calm on Tuesday after residents emptied supermarkets, stocking up on produce ahead of reports of compulsory mass COVID-19 testing and rumours of a city-wide lockdown.
Reuters · Feb 24, 2022 China steps in to steer Hong Kong's COVID crisis as risks loom As COVID-19 rages across Hong Kong at the start of a sensitive political year for China and President Xi Jinping, Beijing is determined not to be embarrassed and undermined as it was by the often-violent protests that rocked the city in 2019.
The Independent UK · Feb 23, 2022 Grumbling grows as Hong Kong sticks with zero-COVID policy Hong Kong residents are becoming increasingly annoyed with the administration’s insistence on sticking to Beijing’s zero-COVID strategy as the city posted another record number of new cases
Al Jazeera · Feb 23, 2022 Hong Kong to test everyone in territory for COVID three times over Mass compulsory testing plan to begin in the middle of March, as the territory struggles to get control of Omicron wave.
The Guardian - UK · Feb 22, 2022 UK reports 205 new coronavirus-related deaths and 41,130 cases; Ireland to drop most curbs – as it happened Ireland will drop most restrictions, including mandatory face masks, on Monday
Reuters · Feb 22, 2022 Hong Kong to enforce mass testing amid predicted surge in COVID infections Hong Kong will roll out compulsory testing for COVID-19 starting in mid-March for its 7.4 million residents, leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday, as university researchers predicted new infections could peak at a staggering 180,000 a day next month.
Reuters · Feb 19, 2022 Hong Kong ramps up isolation facility plans as COVID infections climb Hong Kong reported 6,063 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, as the the city's government made more plans for isolation facilities to take some strain off a healthcare system as infections have risen by more than 60 times since the month began.
Al Jazeera · Feb 19, 2022 Shades of the early pandemic as Omicron tests Hong Kong As hospitals struggle with surge of patients, experts wonder whether Zero COVID policy contributed to city’s problems.
Reuters · Feb 18, 2022 Hong Kong's future unclear as leadership election, lacking front-runner, is delayed by COVID Hong Kong on Friday postponed an election for a new leader until May to battle a raging COVID outbreak, but unlike previous years, there's still no front-runner for the job, adding to uncertainty about the city's future as Beijing imposes its rule.