Hong Kong social distancing

Hongkonger involved in scandal-hit party gets 160 hours of community service

4 Mar 2024 - 7:00PM

Hong Kong party-goer found guilty of misleading officials tracing Covid cases

12 Jan 2024 - 8:55PM

Hong Kong should brace for winter flu season in January: authorities

Dr Edwin Tsui expects a surge in flu cases between January and April as ‘many people may travel overseas during Christmas and attend celebrations on New Year’s Eve’.

15 Dec 2023 - 8:41PM

A surge in winter flu cases is expected in January. Photo: Dickson Lee

Smoother travel along Hong Kong-mainland border after health declaration axed

Hongkongers heading north say crossing is more convenient after mainland authorities scrap mandatory health declaration introduced during Covid-19 pandemic.

1 Nov 2023 - 7:36PM

Hospital Authority chief warns of flu surge as Hong Kong enters mask-free winter

‘People, children in particular, will be more vulnerable as they have not been exposed to any major flu virus in the past three years,’ authority chief Tony Ko says.

22 Oct 2023 - 9:02PM

Hong Kong

Letters | High-handedness will further erode trust in organ donor scheme

Readers discuss the Hong Kong government’s response to withdrawals from the organ donor register, the need for a science-based review of the city’s Covid strategy, and the EU’s treatment of China.

26 May 2023 - 11:30AM

People register for the organ donor scheme at a booth in Hong Kong’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital on May 23. For cross-border cooperation to succeed, people must trust that the scheme is accountable. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong man jailed for 6 months for offering nurse HK$1,000 for jab record

Cheung Chin-hang’s behaviour an attempt to endanger public health amid pandemic, Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung says.

24 May 2023 - 4:52PM

Hong Kong man jailed for 11 months over online call for attacks on police, judges

Repairman Chung Chi-chiu, 32, pleads guilty to three incitement charges in connection with posts on LIHKG forum between May 2021 and February 2022.

12 May 2023 - 4:48PM

No need to bring back mask mandate despite Covid surge: Hong Kong health minister

Reintroducing mask mandate will have negative impact on society, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says.

29 Apr 2023 - 8:57PM

Covid-19 and flu cases have been on the rise in Hong Kong. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong culture

Artistic or morbid? Black-and-white portraits outside Hong Kong mall spark debate

Harbour City displays portraits of Hongkongers without masks to mark end of mandate as part of ‘Inside Out’ project created by French artist JR.

27 Apr 2023 - 8:53PM

An art installation featuring black-and-white portraits outside Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Explainer | How can Hong Kong best shield itself from the recent flu outbreak?

Health experts say immunity to flu infection weakened by years of measures designed to limit Covid-19 spread.

22 Apr 2023 - 11:00AM

Hong Kong civil servant sentenced to community service for using fake Covid app

Magistrate rejects immigration assistant Wong Tsz-hin’s claim that he unknowingly used the wrong software.

12 Apr 2023 - 5:19PM

Dropped masks and weaker immunity behind Hong Kong Covid reproductive number jump

Latest figures show a reproductive number of 2.07, the highest since March last year.

10 Apr 2023 - 3:27AM

Health experts have appealed to the public to keep Covid-19 and flu jabs up to date as the coronavirus reproductive rate increases. Photo: Jelly Tse

Hong Kong shortage of Tamiflu drug for children ‘to persist until June’

Roche, which produces solution form of Tamiflu, says demand in city surged following end of mask mandate.

9 Apr 2023 - 12:09AM

Paediatricians have warned that children who suffer from chronic diseases may face complications if infected with multiple viruses at the same time. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong to drop mandatory Covid tests for public hospital, care home visitors

Clinical staff at public hospitals and residents of care homes will no longer be required to take a daily rapid antigen test.

23 Mar 2023 - 2:06AM

Explainer | What is behind uptick in infectious diseases among children in Hong Kong?

Authorities report increase in cases of respiratory infections and hand, foot and mouth disease among children.

20 Mar 2023 - 11:28PM

Coronavirus pandemic

Asian Angle | Why Hong Kong’s ‘political taboos’ shouldn’t hinder independent pandemic inquiry

While Singapore has released a white paper reviewing its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong authorities have been reluctant to follow suit.

18 Mar 2023 - 8:00AMvideocam

Pedestrians cross a road in Hong Kong on March 1, 2023 after the end of one of the world’s longest mask mandates. Photo: Bloomberg

Hong Kong politics

Editorial | Peaceful protest is the fabric of Hong Kong society

Lawful demonstrations are a feature of life that should return as Hong Kong opens up and seeks to rebuild its international image.

15 Mar 2023 - 7:45AM

Resorts World sees quick recovery for Hong Kong’s passenger cruise market

Hong Kong-based Resorts World Cruises, controlled by Malaysian billionaire Lim Kok Thay, believes the cruise passenger business in Hong Kong will recover faster than in Singapore.

12 Mar 2023 - 3:58PM

Mainland China’s top Covid expert praises Hong Kong’s easing of pandemic controls

Zhong Nanshan gives nod to city’s anti-pandemic fight, spruiks domestically developed drugs and vaccines which could be ready next month across border.

11 Mar 2023 - 9:00PM

Zhong Nanshan was in the city on Saturday. Photo: Dickson Lee

Swire Group

Swire Pacific reports 10 per cent drop in 2022 profits

Covid-19 curbs led to losses at Cathay Pacific, while profits fell at Swire Coca-Cola and Swire Properties, but the company is optimistic now that pandemic restrictions are gone, chairman says.

10 Mar 2023 - 6:32PM

Chairman Guy Bradley says economies free of pandemic curbs will have a significant positive impact on Swire Pacific’s businesses. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong economy

Hundreds visit Hong Kong job expo hoping to grab one of 4,700 openings

About 60 organisations are taking part in the two-day Exploring New Opportunities Job Fair, the biggest since cross-border travel restrictions were lifted fully.

9 Mar 2023 - 9:52AMvideocam

Outside In | For the Covid-19 opportunists, it’s the end of a three-year windfall

Makers of masks, vaccines and the like will see the end of bonanza earnings and some may even have to close down – but governments will be happy to see the end of handouts.

3 Mar 2023 - 3:45PMvideocam

Hong Kong’s airline ticket giveaway: chaos, long waits for Southeast Asian hopefuls

Flagship carrier Cathay Pacific wraps up first batch of giveaways, for tourists from Thailand, after just 45 minutes.

1 Mar 2023 - 8:46PMvideocam

Hong Kong is giving away half a million airline tickets to boost tourism. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong is still masking up. What about other places?

Face coverings are no longer needed in general in mainland China, although people are encouraged to adopt them in indoor public areas.

24 Feb 2023 - 3:23PM

Tourists in Singapore enjoy a day out without masks. Photo: Xinhua