Like mainland China, Hong Kong has adopted the “zero Covid” strategy which has made it possible to maintain a low level of contamination, but has virtually cut off this major international financial center from the rest of the world.

A major source of contamination recently appeared in a densely populated social housing complex, after the contamination of a 43-year-old woman returning from Pakistan just before leaving one of the 40 hotels in the city where the travelers arriving from abroad.

Some Hong Kong experts have pointed out that the quarantine period, among the longest in the world, "is likely to increase the risk of cross-contamination".

"Quarantine hotels are clearly not meeting expectations and travelers are at risk of catching Covid-19 there," said Siddharth Sridhar, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at HKU, has long argued that the 21-day delay is not scientifically justified and poses risks.

Multiple cases of cross-infection in hotels have been detected in recent months but so far all had been detected before the infected people left.

On January 27, 2022, paramedics entered a social housing complex in Hong Kong where a focus of contamination appeared Peter PARKS AFP

"It is not surprising to have an epidemic resurgence. What is surprising is to have gone six months without any cases", says Mr Cowling, referring to the few patients identified in the second half of 2021 .

"I think our luck capital is exhausted," he says.

The Hong Kong government says its zero-Covid policy has broad public support, but there are growing signs to the contrary.

Talent drain

According to a poll conducted in January by the Democratic Party, 65% of the population want to "live with the virus", compared to only 42% in November.

But so far the government has shown no signs of ever wanting to abandon its zero-Covid strategy.

International business circles have sounded the alarm, saying they are facing a talent drain and recruitment problems.

According to a draft report obtained this week by Bloomberg News, the European Chamber of Commerce warns the territory could remain isolated until 2024.

"We are anticipating an exodus of foreigners, probably the largest Hong Kong has ever seen," the draft report said.

The British daily Financial Times said this week that Bank of America, a major player in the banking sector, is considering relocating its staff to Singapore.

"The End of the Beginning"

Since the huge pro-democracy protests of 2019, the Hong Kong executive has aligned itself with Beijing in multiple areas, from coronavirus policy to cracking down on political dissent.

Ms. Lam has made it a priority to reopen the border with mainland China.

But the latter, which is also facing epidemic outbreaks, does not seem to be in a hurry.

A police officer monitors residents queuing to be tested in a social housing complex where an outbreak of Covid-19 contamination appeared in Hong Kong, January 27, 2022 Peter PARKS AFP

"While across the planet 2022 is the beginning of the end of the pandemic, for Hong Kong it is just the end of the beginning," Sridhar wrote on Facebook.

The vaccination campaign has so far been inconclusive.

Despite an ample number of doses, just over 70% of the eligible population is fully immunized.

Less than half of people aged 70 or over, the population category most vulnerable to the virus, received two doses.

According to experts, including MM.

Sridhar and Cowling, the city will only be able to consider abandoning the zero-Covid policy when it has massively vaccinated its oldest inhabitants.

But the business community, pointing to Hong Kong's reluctance to step off the path set by Beijing, doubts the city will reopen to the rest of the world before China does the same.

© 2022 AFP