The Impact Of Hong Kong's Economic Downturn Will Review Strict COVID-19 Policies

Illustration of the Covid-19 response. (Intermediate/Raised AF)

JAKARTA - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam plans to review the COVID-19 containment policy tomorrow Monday 20 March. Policies in the city have been strict since the Omicron variant broke out.

Strict regulations in the Chinese-ruled city have contributed to a slump in Hong Kong's economy. Many financial institutions are already "hot" with the government's COVID-19 policies.

Hong Kong has banned flights from nine countries, including Australia and the UK, and requires inbound travelers to quarantine hotels for up to two weeks.

Hong Kong has also imposed a ban on gatherings of more than two people. Most public places were closed, including beaches and playgrounds, masks were required to be worn, and face-to-face learning was suspended.

On Saturday, March 19, citing Reuters from Antara, the city reported 16,597 new cases of COVID-19, down from more than 20,000 the previous day.

The coronavirus outbreak has hit nursing homes and paralyzed parts of Hong Kong.

In recent weeks, the streets of downtown Hong Kong have seen very quiet, restaurants and bars closed or empty.

Supermarket shelves are empty as people stock up on groceries for fear of the city-wide lockdown. Many businesses across the city of Hong Kong were forced to close, including gyms, restaurants and bars.

Hong Kong adheres to a zero-case policy in controlling the coronavirus outbreak.

The recent shift in COVID-19 policies shows the city is far from easing restrictions at a time when other major cities in the world are starting to learn to live with the virus.

In recent days, the daily cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong have ranged from 20-30 thousand cases.

However, some experts believe the daily number of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong is actually higher than the Hong Kong authorities report.

This is because there are Hong Kong residents who are positive for COVID-19 who choose to quarantine at home and do not report to the authorities.