{"id":3947,"date":"2023-01-18T15:35:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T07:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boasecohencollins.com\/?p=3947"},"modified":"2023-01-18T15:35:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T07:35:40","slug":"the-rule-that-bugs-our-bunny-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boasecohencollins.com\/zh-hans\/%e7%bd%91%e8%aa%8c\/the-rule-that-bugs-our-bunny-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"The rule that bugs our bunny celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Hong Kong, 18 January 2023: <\/strong>\u201cYou do things and do things and nobody really has a clue.\u201d So opines novelist John Updike in the first volume of his feted <em>Rabbit<\/em> tetralogy chronicling the mundane life of fictional post-war American everyman Harry \u201cRabbit\u201d Angstrom. As our government continues to impose its science-denying mask mandate, wonders what to do with redundant (in some cases, never used) Covid isolation facilities containing 40,000 beds, and barely bats an eyelid over another survey highlighting the mental and physical stress caused by this city\u2019s previously draconian anti-pandemic policies, Updike\u2019s withering observation seems particularly apt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also brings us neatly to the impending Year of the Rabbit. Updike\u2019s celebrated series covers some 30 years of Angstrom\u2019s underwhelming existence. Hong Kong\u2019s protracted public health crisis has lasted just a tenth of that \u2013 through Years of the Rat, Ox and Tiger \u2013 but it feels like eons. As we approach our fourth Covid-constricted Chinese New Year, looking forward to the traditional firecrackers, lion dances and <em>lai see<\/em>, will our leaders finally \u2013 Hey, presto! \u2013 pull a rabbit from the hat and drop all remaining restrictions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While, hearteningly, we are seeing green shoots of recovery, reminders of Hong Kong\u2019s disastrous dynamic zero Covid strategy lie scattered around us: the shuttered shops, bankrupted businesses, underutilised airport and, not least, the 72 hectares (about 86 football fields) of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/health-environment\/article\/3206868\/covid-white-elephants-hong-kong-isolation-facilities-40000-beds-left-empty-quarantine-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">idle isolation camps<\/a> built at staggering cost during the panicked response to last year\u2019s fifth wave of infections. Only two facilities \u2013 Kai Tak and Penny\u2019s Bay \u2013 are still being used, the remaining seven being in \u201cstandby mode\u201d according to the Security Bureau, which manages them. The centres include a temporary hospital in Lok Ma Chau which has never been used. What to do with this herd of white elephants? Suggestions range from temporary housing or workers\u2019 dormitories to healthcare training centres. Clearly, any solution will require imagination and creativity. Oh, wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Past policy decisions have taken their toll on all age groups, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/health-environment\/article\/3206912\/millennials-and-covid-stress-hong-kong-beauty-queen-hid-hotel-bingeing-piles-junk-food\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">millennials particularly affected<\/a>. A survey of citizens aged 25 to 40 reveals 86% have experienced physical issues such as shoulder, neck and back pain, plus sleeping problems, while 30% have encountered mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Commissioned by medical insurance firm Bupa, the poll shows about 60% of all psychological counselling claims are being made by millennials, three times higher than any other age group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s be thankful for small mercies, then. Pandemic-weary citizens can finally consign the widely derided LeaveHomeSafe app to the <a href=\"https:\/\/hongkongfp.com\/2023\/01\/09\/covid-19-hong-kong-retires-contact-tracing-app-leavehomesafe-amid-easing-of-restrictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital dustbin<\/a>. Introduced in November 2020 as a contact tracing tool, then upgraded to contain individual vaccination histories, with its use mandatory for entry to bars, restaurants and countless other types of public venues, the government has confirmed the app is now defunct. All data in the system has been deleted, we are assured. LeaveHomeSafe \u201chas completed its historical mission\u201d, notes Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong, almost wistfully. We won\u2019t miss it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being fair to Chief Executive John Lee, most of our city\u2019s pandemic hot potatoes were passed to him by the flip-flopping, ad-libbing administration of predecessor Carrie Lam. (Compulsory universal testing, anyone?) Since taking office on 1 July last year, he has methodically dismantled almost all of the labyrinth laws, too slowly for some, but always travelling in the right direction. Carrie, lest we forget, led us around in circles. Should we \u2013 dare we \u2013 be optimistic? \u201cYes!\u201d bellows our leader. He has just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/politics\/article\/3207026\/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-lauds-citys-push-maintain-global-ties-calls-un-bound-officials-spread-word?module=lead_hero_story&amp;pgtype=homepage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">farewelled 12 civil servants<\/a> on an overseas exchange progamme to work at the United Nations\u2019 offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna, encouraging them to spread the word about our city\u2019s resurgence: \u201cTell your new friends about the charm and competitiveness of a vitalised Hong Kong.\u201d He\u2019s nothing if not bullish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, too, is the Hong Kong Tourism Board, which plans to offer visitors vouchers which they can redeem for transport, meals and goods at designated shops and restaurants as part of a HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) campaign to lure back tourists. It will also hand out 500,000 air tickets worth HK$2 billion (US$250 million) courtesy of the Airport Authority. Further, tourism chiefs are staging an 18-day Chinese New Year mega-event along Victoria Harbour, with giant rabbit installations, artwork and other attractions, for the benefit of visitors and residents alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This renewed enthusiasm comes amid signs that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/hong-kong-economy\/article\/3207030\/coronavirus-hong-kong-tourism-industry-begins-slow-walk-recovery-city-records-604564-visitors-2022?module=lead_hero_story&amp;pgtype=homepage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tourism is picking up<\/a>, even before the recent resumption of quarantine-free travel \u2013 albeit it with quotas and testing requirements \u2013 between Hong Kong and the Mainland. New figures from the Tourism Board show the number of visitors in 2022 rose more than sixfold to 600,000 from the year before. Still a tiny fraction of the 56 million who arrived in 2019, but progress, nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, even the loudest cheerleaders for our city\u2019s rebound have to admit the mask mandate is a turn-off for some tourists, not to mention many residents. John Lee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestandard.com.hk\/breaking-news\/section\/4\/199284\/John-Lee-hopes-to-end-all-Covid-restrictions,-including-masks,-this-year%C2%A0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">plans to end it this quarter<\/a>. In the Year of the Rabbit, let\u2019s hope he hops to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay safe and well, everybody!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Colin Cohen<\/strong><br><strong>Senior Partner<\/strong><br><strong>Boase Cohen &amp; Collins<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hong Kong, 18 January 2023: \u201cYou do things and do thing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-54"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The rule that bugs our bunny celebrations - \u5e03\u9ad8\u6c5f\u5f8b\u5e08\u884c<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boasecohencollins.com\/zh-hans\/%e7%bd%91%e8%aa%8c\/the-rule-that-bugs-our-bunny-celebrations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The rule that bugs our bunny celebrations - 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