[cwoodward]

From next week hotel guests will be able to dine and drink in segregated areas of hotels bars and restaurants.

All restrictions to opening hours and group size controls are also being lifted on all bars and restaurants as are restrictions on outdoor barbecues and gatherings.

Pleased to report that 97% of the tickets for next week’s HK Rugby Sevens have been sold at normal pricing and venue eating and drinking restrictions have also been lifted.

Painfully slowly but we are getting there!

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Polly

[MartynSinclair]

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/196573/Hong-Kong-full-of-life-under-%E2%80%980+3%E2%80%99-scheme,-says-John-Lee?fbclid=IwAR3_p_XedI4leY2LKi0F9i-wfnBjM1QZoHAMBRhPh3Km1rbOxL-NdoFSxjs

Hmm… doesn’t look like dinner in HKG will be possible in December…. for a 2 night stay….

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Polly

[TominScotland]

I just hope that no one tests positive in the stadium at the 7s – imagine a stadium lockdown – not beyond the bounds of reality!!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/31/china-covid-visitors-trapped-inside-shanghai-disney-resort-lockdown

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Polly

[cwoodward]

TominScotland

I hesitate to say this as it is harsh:

‘Tom what you have written above is absolute and total nonsense…as you probably very well know.’

Why ? A deep dislike of Hong Kong and China perhaps ?

As you also probably well know Hong Kong operates much as it always did as a colony of Britain and 90% independently of mainland China as did the UK.

[stevescoots]

[postquote quote=1241352]

one would dispute the 90% part, an example being its was not a colony but occupied territory according to the new narrative. Tongue in cheek comment aside I agree, there will not be any mass lock ins in HK and the article is just rubbish. simple fact is even those who have tested positive now the govt is not tracing contacts. I know 3 HK’s who tested positive on the arrival test in past 2 weeks. each just told to stay home until clear.

My feeling is very much political, that BJ need a way out of Z covid without loss of face and they can use HK example to show mainland a way out. just have to wait it out. I am transiting thru again just before xmas and considering to move to have a couple of days in town just to catch up with old friends. it may well end up a few beers at thier village house but better than nothing now the risk of getting locked in pennys bay has gone.

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Polly

[cwoodward]

stevescoots

Hong Kong was needlessly given away by Thatcher and that -loody fool of a British Ambassador Percy Cradock.
Thus we find ourselves doing the best that we can and to be honest the 1C2S’s is working well and will continue to do so as long as HK is useful – perhaps thirty years or so and just possibly permanently.
Hong Kong is still the ‘good life’ and I read that expats are returning and more than a trickle of former locals returning
If you fancy a beer on your way through give me a shout……

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stevescoots

[Chris in Makati]

I spent one night in Hong Kong about a month ago and didn’t expect to be able to visit any restaurants or bars.

I went down to Wanchai and one of the open-fronted bars in Lockhart Road allowed me to drink while sitting at the outside tables by the roadside. The owner said to keep an eye out for any police in the area and to move away while they were around.

At least it was better than having to drink alone in the hotel.

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Polly, Tom Otley, stevescoots

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1241443]I went down to Wanchai and one of the open-fronted bars in Lockhart Road allowed me to drink while sitting at the outside tables by the roadside. The owner said to keep an eye out for any police in the area and to move away while they were around.[/quote]

Perhaps by myself I would chance it – but with a client or a friend out for dinner, this would not work for me.

I can not see 1 or 2 night business trip stopovers in HKG working until the +3 goes, which seems unlikely in the short term according to press reports.

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Polly, stevescoots

[stevescoots]

[postquote quote=1241674]

Martyn, if you do find yourself there 18/19th Dec let me know, maybe you, Cwoodward and i can grab a beer or 2 out of sight somewhere!

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cwoodward, MartynSinclair

[tomyam42]

I am pleased to be able to report that Hong Kong has taken a further major step forwards in its program of reopening to tourists. In an improvement that far surpasses the typical enhancement presented by Cathay, the government has made great changes to its 4 PCR testing requirements. I had hoped the the nasal swab could be reduced from 5 twists of the swizzle stick in each nostril to 3 but I was blown away today to learn that it had been completely eliminated. Now only swabs of the mouth/throat are to be taken. The government claims that this will save significant amounts of time. Unfortunately it still takes me about one hour to travel from my flat to the most convenient (for me) testing centre for each of the 3 tests required after leaving the airport but most tourists will be staying much closer. I imagine that the airline websites are overwhelmed with potential travellers seeking bookings. And some Honkies no doubt will be arranging street parties to celebrate, although they must still be careful to ensure that no more than 12 people gather together and that all wear masks at all times when not actually eating or drinking.

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Polly

[cwoodward]

The above is an oddly worded sarcastic and negatively factually incorrect report that is it appears deliberately so.

The test mentioned only ever took 20 seconds or so and the result delivered the following day to ones mobile phone and on none of the several occasions that I have needed to take a test has there been any waiting time or queue.

It is very difficult to believe how in small well connected HK it can take anyone an hour reach a testing station unless totally without any form of transport (in itself difficult in HK) unless our correspondent is living on one of the very sparsely populated outer islands it would be difficult live more than a maximum of 20 minutes away from one of many testing station and if staying in a hotel 95% would be only a very few minutes away from a testing station even if on foot.

The total testing procedure including registering takes a couple of minutes maximum

The are of course no restrictions of any type on the the size and number of any gathering in Hong Kong.

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Polly

[tomyam42]

I agree, the test never took me more than about 20 seconds. I never said it did. If one cares to check Sammy Heung of the SCMP in the subheading to an article at 3.43pm on 7 November said “Switch to the throat swabs only could reduce sample collection times by two thirds……”

I said the most convenient testing centre. I live in Sham Tseng. There is a bus from there all the way to Causeway Bay. I have difficulty walking distances. There is a testing centre in Wanchai reasonably close to the bus stop. It is the most convenient for me. The time I take from leaving my flat to arriving at the testing entre is about one hour. I am not a liar and object to being called such.

Today when I arrived at the Wanchai there was a queue. I had some 20-25 people in front of me but I never mentioned this.

The communication that I received from the HKRFU trying to get me to come to the Sevens said that I should avoid becoming part of a group of more than 12. I can’t give the exact quote as I did not keep it.

CWoodward I love Hong Kong also. It has been my home for many years but my glasses are clear, not rose tinted.

[Chris in Makati]

Wouldn’t the community testing centres in either Tsuen Wan or Tsing Yi be easier to get to from Sham Tseng?

[stevescoots]

well i have bitten the bullet and will be going in 16-19th dec, business needs must. Not expecting any rule changes to allow me to “legally” eat and drink outside of my room or Jiētóu shípǐn but it would be a welcome if it did. As for the lack of nasal thats good news to me. i have particuarly odd nasal passages that makes getting a swab very hard, more than once testers caused a nose bleed

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Polly

[MartynSinclair]

@stevecoots – I leave Asia (for London) on 21 Dec but from BKK. Whilst there are any kind of restrictions (including PCR testing) it is just not sensible to enter HKG. In the event of a positive test, even a false positive, it could cause all sorts of issues. If you divert into BKK during that period, you know where I will be (and no, not Cowboy or Nana 🙂 ) …..

If HKG restrictions change however…. I am sure Tim will assist…..

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stevescoots

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