Singapore starts to reopen for travel, as ‘zero covid’ clips wings of rival Hong Kong

In light of recent developments in the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong, the Government has made sudden changes to quarantine requirements for residents flying into Hong Kong. On 19 August 2021, as The European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, we felt it is our obligation to express our opinions in an open letter to the Hong Kong Government. Click here to view the full letter.

In response to our open letter, several media outlets have published articles covering the content of our letter.

HONG KONG — Asia's two most globalized cities faced a conundrum when the coronavirus pandemic hit. Among the first to close borders to nonresidents and impose draconian quarantine rules to keep people safe, the business hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong were suddenly cut off from the international connections that underpinned their success.

In an open letter Thursday to Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, Frederik Gollob, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in the city, said the quarantine rules are “out of proportion.”

“We are of the view that Hong Kong must open itself sooner rather than later or this new quarantine regime could lead many in the international community to question if they want to remain indefinitely trapped in Hong Kong when the rest of the world is moving on,” he wrote.