Hong Kong has “no definitive timeline” for lifting restrictions on international borders this year, a top official has said, despite the heavy toll the city’s zero-Covid policy has taken on its role as a transport and financial hub.
Hong Kong’s elimination strategy, which involves 21 days of quarantine for international arrivals, has made it increasingly difficult for executives to use the city as a regional hub. Passenger flights to eight countries, including the UK and US, have been banned and air freight services reduced to a number of states.
But the chaos wrought by the global Omicron outbreak has reinforced the Hong Kong government and public’s confidence in the city’s zero-Covid strategy, Edward Yau, secretary for commerce and economic development, told the Financial Times in an interview.