In a recent propaganda film, schoolgirls playing the flute while wearing double face masks expose Hong Kong’s dedication to zero-Covid.
Prior to China’s National Day on October 1, the Hong Kong Education Bureau aired a film that has received internet mockery.
The five-minute commercial, titled “Young China Says,” features more than 400 youngsters partaking in a range of creative pursuits, including singing and martial arts, all while donning masks.
The movie cuts to two schoolgirls wearing bulky double masks with a mouth gap and a secondary flap concealing their flutes around the 45-second mark.
The South China Morning Post journalist Jeffie Lam wrote: “This city never ceases to amaze me,” along with the hashtag #maskingtilltheendoftheworld, as one example of how social media users have expressed their amusement.
The publication of the film coincided with Hong Kong’s announcement earlier this week that Covid limitations, such as social distance, mask wearing in public areas, and digital health codes to access public venues, will continue for at least another two weeks.
Hong Kong has struggled a lot more than the mainland in its efforts to control the virus, despite its best efforts to follow China’s example and strive for zero-Covid.
The travel restrictions in Hong Kong, like those in China, Singapore, New Zealand, and Taiwan, assisted in putting an end to the virus in 2020 when the pandemic caused a wave of fatalities throughout most of the rest of the world.
However, as a major international gateway, Hong Kong found it difficult to eradicate the virus permanently and was unable to implement the same type of city-wide lockdowns as the totalitarian mainland.
Most of the fatalities of the Omicron variety were old people who had not had vaccinations, and it overran hospitals that had not been sufficiently prepared.
With approximately 10,000 fatalities per 100,000 people in a population of 7.4 million, Hong Kong has one of the highest per capita mortality rates in the world despite strict travel restrictions and social segregation laws.
The severe regulations have also had a big influence on Hong Kong’s economy, which is now technically in a recession after two quarters of negative growth.
Hong Kong’s budget deficit is anticipated to double this year, reaching HK$100 billion ($12.7 billion), according to finance head Paul Chan.
However, yesterday’s announcement by the city to remove the hotel quarantine—which has wreaked havoc on the economy and kept the financial centre of the world out of the spotlight—gave Hong Kong residents reason to believe that Covid restrictions may be loosened.
Residents and companies who have been clamouring for the city to rejoin the rest of the globe in resuming unrestricted travel and living with Covid-19 are relieved by the long-awaited action.
With the declaration, mainland China is now the only developed country with a protracted quarantine for foreign immigrants.
According to Chief Executive John Lee, the present hotel quarantine period of three days would be shortened to nothing for visitors visiting from outside.
As on September 26, travellers will be required to undergo PCR tests upon arrival and will not be permitted to enter restaurants or bars for the first three days as part of a system known as “0+3.”
According to this plan, Lee informed reporters, the quarantine hotel system will be scrapped.
On days two, four, and six in the city, further PCR tests will be required for international arrivals.
If a test is positive, travellers risk being imprisoned in hotel rooms at their own cost. The majority of individuals can isolate at home, but those who can’t may be transferred to government institutions.
Authorities also announced the removal of entry limits from the Chinese mainland, although individuals travelling in the other way are still required to quarantine because to Beijing’s stringent zero-Covid regulations.