My Take | Touch of the ‘old normal’ is what Hongkongers need now
- More than two years of Covid curbs have taken a heavy toll on people’s lives and livelihoods. Lighter measures will be a welcome relief for exhausted residents
The pendulum that has seen Hong Kong’s Covid-19 curbs tightened, relaxed and tightened again is about to swing back in the direction of lighter measures. This will provide welcome relief for the city’s exhausted residents.
People will be permitted to enjoy the simple pleasure of dining in a restaurant after 6pm for the first time in months. Sports facilities, gyms, museums and theme parks are among the venues that can reopen this week. The ban on private gatherings of more than two households will be removed.
This is not a return to normal life. It is the first phase in the lifting of restrictions that could be imposed again if cases surge. But the chance of a little entertainment after so much time spent at home amid the city’s worst outbreak will, no doubt, be seized.
Why some measures are lifted and others remain is, as usual, difficult to understand. You can skate and play basketball, but not go for a swim. You can get drunk in a restaurant, while bars remain closed. A party at home is allowed, but no more than four can gather in public. Those with three jabs can even eat popcorn in cinemas, but going to the beach is forbidden.
Athletes will be delighted that sports facilities are opening. But masks must be worn, even for team sports. The requirement conflicts with advice given by the World Health Organization. It is bizarre that it has not been lifted.
But for all the grumbling, the easing of measures is a welcome sign that Hong Kong is moving in the right direction again after the disastrous epidemic that hit the city early this year.