Hong Kong's central bank confirmed Tuesday that its officials sent care package goodies to high profile executives in quarantine as the business community's frustrations grow over the city's international isolation.

The finance hub maintains one of the world's longest quarantines, a measure that has kept the city largely coronavirus-free but cut off from much of the world.

For some VIP executives stuck in mandatory hotel quarantine for up to 21 days, the burden has been eased by care packages.

Eddie Yue, head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), told the Hong Kong Economic Times on Monday that a team was sending "wine and gourmet food" to finance executives in the hope they would be "less angry with Hong Kong" over the strict quarantines.

When asked for comment on Tuesday, an HKMA spokesperson told AFP: "From their own pockets, HKMA senior executives sent confectioneries to a handful of executives under quarantine as a token of personal regards."

The HKMA did not elaborate on the contents of the care packages, nor how many people had received them.

Hong Kong dubs itself "Asia's World City" but has been largely internationally cut off throughout the pandemic, even as rival business hubs like Singapore, New York and London switch to living with the virus and reopening borders.

The city's leaders have mirrored China's zero-Covid strategy and made clear that restarting quarantine-free travel with the mainland must come before reopening to the rest of the world.

That approach has been welcomed by Hong Kong residents cut off from families or businesses in China, but sparked growing anger among employees and managers at blue-chip multinationals.

Businesses have complained the rules are hampering efforts to retain and recruit talent, and their pleas to officials have fallen on deaf ears.

Some airlines have been steering clear of Hong Kong altogether so that crew can avoid quarantine.

Last month, FedEx announced it was relocating all pilots based in the city to California.

In October, a survey by the finance industry's main lobby group in Hong Kong warned half of its members were actively contemplating moving staff or functions out of the city.

With no end to the zero-Covid strategy in sight, some major banks like JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have begun offering staff thousands of dollars to help fund quarantine spells.

Related Links
Epidemics on Earth - Bird Flu, HIV/AIDS, Ebola

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China outbreak prompts major business shutdown, restrictions
Beijing (AFP) Dec 14, 2021
China's economically important Zhejiang province wrestled on Tuesday with a Covid outbreak that has caused some districts to shut down businesses and left hundreds of thousands of people facing quarantine or other restrictions. Zhejiang, a major industrial and export hub on the country's east coast, reported 44 of China's 51 domestically transmitted coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the total since late last week to nearly 200. Although Chinese case counts are miniscule compared to other ma ... read more