- Chief of catering industry body says business at his restaurant group was down 40 per cent in the wake of the scheme’s introduction
And that loss is 100% due to stupid Vaccine passport and “LeaveHomeSafe” App mandates by our very own Hong Kong government.
Even the BBC knows the vaccine passports don’t work. And they also gave up using a tracing App, after a huge “Pingdemic” rendered them useless. From my comment at the site:
BBC 2 days ago: "There is no evidence that the use of Covid passports stopped the spread of the virus".
Vaccine take up [in Hong Kong] is lowest amongst the elderly [28%] who are also the most vulnerable. So rather than demanding vax passports -- and destroying the FnB industry -- how about concentrating on getting the elderly vaxxed? Like give them the $10k handout only if vaxxed (or w valid medical exemption)
That was comment on the article in the post title. The $10k reference is that the government announced yesterday they will hand out another $HK10,000 to all permanent residents, which includes us. They do it by crediting our contactless Octopus card, which we can use for pretty much any cash purchase. But they give it our regardless of vax status. Which seems pretty silly. Only some 28% of people over 70 are vaxxed. I don’t know why, though I suspect it’s fear of the vaccine. $10k would go a long way to easing their fears. We don’t need the hammer of a vaccine passport. Rather the fine tool of crisp cash.
I have my vax as a QR code on my phone, so I’m fine, bit it’s the principle of the thing. And knowing these “passports” don’t work and didn’t substantially increase vaccine rates where they were used. While we ignore the clear incentive of cash.
ADDED: There is zero incentive to use the “LeaveHomeSafe” tracing app or vaccine passports. In fact there’s a huge disincentive. The only outcome possible is negative. If you’re somewhere that turns out to have had a person with Omicron, you have to go to a quarantine facility for two or three weeks. And they’re pretty dire. No choice to stay at home. Regardless of vax status.
We are long past the early days of this pandemic, when people would undertake the huge inconvenience of 21 days quarantine for “the greater good”. We don’t buy that “we are at war” as Chief-exec Carrie Lam insists. No, we can see other places are “at peace”. We’re wise to the fact that being vaccinated — as we all are, triple vaxxxed — and with the Omicron variant, our chances of being hospitalised, let alone dying, are low. But being vaccinated has no reward. If we’re traced as being near someone, via “LeaveHomeSafe”, we’re banged up in Penny’s Bay. Bummer. So why use the App? We all try not to. Everyone I know tries to avoid it. If it’s mandatory, as it is as of yesterday, people will stay home more. Thus destroying the F&B industry.
With mandatory testing of everyone of our 7.4 million coming soon, they may find up to 800,000 people with Omicron. All being put in quarantine. Where? They only have room for 10 or 20 thousand.
Madness. Incoherent, unscientific Madness. It’s not “following the science”. It’s kowtowing to Beijing.
ADDED: Meanwhile people are leaving Hong Kong. Where Jing has the most upvoted comment:
Jing L: The plan for mass compulsory testing and quarantine is overkill. The government should focus on protecting the most vulnerable (mostly old people in care homes) instead of punishing the general public that is vaccinated.
