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Birthday party scandal updates, MTR staff must get vaxxed, and more
Good morning.
I love these inari pancake rolls from The Pig & Tail (it’s in Birmingham, UK – sorry everyone) that are very reminiscent of the Peking duck ones I would get in my childhood. If you ever have the misfortune of being in that city, I recommend spending a meal at the quaint restobar for a pint and delicious South-East Asian eats.
On Today’s Tide
COVID-19 | Free streaming for those holed up in quarantine. MTR staff have a month to get vaccinated. Lockdowns and birthday party scandal updates continue to roll in.
Events | The future of money and power.
Paid readers get access to:
COVID cont. | Government apologies over attending Witman Hung’s birthday party look like that class project where students swear they didn’t copy each other.
Diplomat | Meet Qatar’s new Consul-General!
Stuck in quarantine? Stream for free!
There’s a silver lining on the dark cloud of those who are undergoing quarantine; SmarTone and 3HK are offering free network data to their users stuck in quarantine hotels or Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre. For SmarTone users, they will receive an extra 100GB of data and unlimited voice call minutes. 3HK users will receive an extra 300GB of data if they register for this benefit before 20 January.
In other COVID-19 news:


New cases: 33 (27 imported)
One of the new cases is an unlinked preliminary positive. Learn more about this case here along with another potential infection coming from the big party that has had the government doing PR control.
All MTR staff must have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by 23 February. Testing as an alternative will not be an option, and the only employees exempt from this rule are those with medical reasons.
The Solomon Islands have been moved to the “Group A” list, meaning that non-residents who have been there in the last 21 days will not be allowed entry into HK. Fully vaccinated residents who have been to the Islands in this time frame will have to quarantine for 21 days.
While the attendees of a 190-person birthday party for Witman Hung, HK’s delegate to the National People’s Congress, have been freed from Penny’s Bay, a preliminary positive case means that they have to continue the rest of their quarantine period from home.
The government has locked down three residential blocks in Tuen Mun, Tai Kok Tsui, and Tai Po after residents reported preliminary positive cases. The lockdown and mandatory testing began last night and should be finished by 7 AM Monday (likely by the time you’re reading High Tide). No new cases were found at three lockdowns held on Saturday night in North Point, Causeway Bay, and Tung Chung.
Events
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The Future of Money and Power: e-RMB and CIPS
Join this lunch to learn more about China’s electronic currency and its “answer to the American-dominated SWIFT system: CIPS”. The talk emphasises the importance of China’s monetary system “as a global currency to rival the Euro and maybe, someday, the USD.” The speaker will be one of our own: Andrew Work, founder of Harbour Times and Co-founder and Director of the Lion Rock Institute.
When: 14 January 2022, 12:30 – 2 PM
Where: The Foreign Correspondents' Club - Verandah
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