The sooner Hong Kong moves to ‘0+0’, the more it can serve as gateway to China

WHILE I’ve done my fair share of revenge travel since Singapore reopened its borders in April, no other destination has evoked as strong a sense of surreality as Hong Kong.

For the last two-and-a-half years, Hong Kong has been steadfast in adhering to some of the strictest Covid-19 restrictions in the world, and its punishingly long quarantines – up to 21 days at one point – have made the once easily accessible Asian financial hub feel much like a “forbidden city”.

As I stepped into Hong Kong International Airport recently, the sight of airport staff donned in full personal protective equipment jolted me into a grim reminder that the Covid-19 pandemic, which had felt largely like a thing of the past in Singapore, was far from over.