Hong Kong’s travel easing may be too little, too late

• Viewers go over normal travel, open seashores and swimming pools, and racial stereotypes

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The authorities is set to allow for non-residents to fly into Hong Kong for the very first time in two years, after formerly halving the compulsory hotel quarantine for returning citizens to seven times. This is an superb announcement. But this city can no more time count on to be the prime journey vacation spot it was.

Numerous international locations this kind of as Thailand, Japan and other people in the West have been residing with Covid-19, and no more time impose stringent pandemic actions. For any international visitor, these locations are certainly extra practical and tourist-helpful. These locations include our rival, Singapore, which has attracted business owners and company places of work relocating out of Hong Kong, an enormous decline in standing and talent for us.

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Even with Hong Kong’s most up-to-date flight plan rest, Covid-19 limitations stay, and individuals in the marketplace do not expect a lot of visitors or businesspeople to pay a visit to.

Still, I fear about regardless of whether the leisure will set off a sixth wave of bacterial infections. Permit us not neglect that the fifth wave started with just a few imported conditions but speedily unfold gloom and doom to all of us in the metropolis.

When will things return to regular and when can we simplicity all flight limitations and do absent with quarantine entirely? No 1 is aware of for now, but we should really hope it occurs as before long as probable.

One little move is improved than no progress at all. Despite the fact that quite a few of us and the Hong Kong govt want to reopen borders with the mainland initially, the truth is that reopening initially to global journey is just substantially far more feasible.

Jack Chung, Sham Shui Po

Pink tape at the rear of pool, seaside closures?

Various letters have questioned the logic at the rear of the continued closure of general public shorelines and swimming pools, when the Omicron infection risk at these outside facilities appears minimal (“Lam ought to listen to science, not net buyers”, March 31, and “Demonstrate evidence of beach and pool ‘dangers'”, April 20).

May well I enterprise that the true difficulty is bureaucratic, whereby the lifeguards and other officials anxious with the running of these facilities are “doing the job from home” – in line with other civil servants.

Charlie Chan, Mid-Concentrations

Racial stereotypes not practical for anybody

Your Sunday concern carried a report about a community Tv programme which has induced an uproar: “Darker side of race relations in the city”. The unhappiness centred upon the age-previous issue of racial stereotyping. Possibly the drama was not supposed to portray ethnic minorities – in this scenario our significantly-needed and most useful domestic helpers – as inferior or only suited to a unique line of function. That it gave offence is product. But how and why has racial sensitivity remained an difficulty in our city so numerous several years soon after the 1st domestic helpers arrived?

Stereotyping goes back again a lengthy way. Sixty or additional yrs in the past, any Filipino in Hong Kong would have been assumed to be possibly a musician, an Indian or Pakistani particular person would have been considered of as a guard or watchman, a Caucasian assumed to be unreasonable or a drunkard or overbearing, and Chinese from Shantung assumed to smell of garlic and be incomprehensible.

Brownface notion hole: we require to converse about every day racism

Issues do not feel to have modified considerably. There is still insufficient comprehension of the purpose and importance of these who have occur to help, support with and share our jobs and burdens. Possibly the almighty dollar has blinded us to the virtues, marketplace, tenacity and loyalty of all those whom we engage to release us from mundane, unprofitable chores so that we could run a more productive race to a much better daily life. Just simply because we spend them does not indicate we are better, top-quality or a class over. Have we or dare we ask our domestic helpers or any member of the other ethnic minority teams how they may well stereotype us?

Equality may well indicate distinct items to different folks but fairness is in everyone’s coronary heart. Let’s be fair: do unto others as you would by yourself.

James A. Elms, Wan Chai

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