🌊 Free Tide: Patients of COVID-19 mutant withheld info from police
🌊 Free Tide: Patients of COVID-19 mutant withheld info from police
Great timing for the relaxed restrictions
Good morning
I’m realising just how high Cyril has set the standard for these morning greetings because an interesting or shareable thought occurs to me once every five business days.
~ Kyna
Apple Daily running out of time
Opposition newspaper Apple Daily is facing imminent closure. According to Mark Simon, an adviser of now-jailed founder Jimmy Lai, HK$18 million of its assets were frozen under the National Security Law and the organisation is now unable to pay its staff.
“Our problem at Apple Daily is not that we don’t have funds … Our problem is the Secretary of Security and the police will not let us pay our reporters, they will not let us pay our staff, and they will not let us pay our vendors.”
— Mark Simon
COVID news
Coronavirus in Hong Kong
New cases: 3 (imported)
Total cases: 11,890 cases so far (64 active cases, 210 total deaths, 11,616 total recovered)
The government is looking to relax social distancing rules and reduce quarantine periods for vaccinated inbound travellers.
Restaurants where all staff have received at least one dose of the vaccine may now operate at 75% capacity, provided that customers utilise the LeaveHomeSafe app.
Fully vaccinated non-residents with positive COVID-19 antibody results and travelling from high/medium-risk nations have a seven-day compulsory quarantine.
Amongst other reduced restrictions here.
Yesterday, the city marked a 15-day streak without local infections. See what happens when we get vaccinated?
Speaking of sustainability…
Vivek Pathak, Director and Global Head for Climate Business at IFC, let Harbour Times in on five ways businesses can help bring green finance into the mainstream.
“The moment when we no longer have to talk about scaling-up and mainstreaming green finance is the moment we will know we have succeeded.”
— Vivek Pathak
Learn more on paving the way for a sustainable future and enacting lasting change:
In other news…
HK’s first local patients with the Beta coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa plead guilty for providing false information. They admitted to withholding information from authorities (paywall) when questioned about who they had recently contacted.
UN Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet plans to visit China’s Xinjiang region to investigate reports of human rights violations against Uyghur Muslim communities. China has repeatedly denied such accusations and described the camps as “vocational” ones aiming to prevent religious extremism.
Remember the Gay Games drama?
HT has put together a summary rundown just for you. Read commentary highlights from lawmakers Junius Ho, Ricky Chu Man-kin and Chief Executive Carrie Lam:
Water bottles are getting politicised now
Find out more on the paid version of today’s High Tide!