Good morning,

*Cue the drum roll…*

Hey everyone, newcomer here! 👋🏼 I’m Carlos, and today I’ll be bringing you this morning’s edition of High Tide. Looking forward to helping you stay up to speed with the latest news and happenings making headlines around our city (and the world)!

Let’s begin…

– Carlos

On Today’s Tide:

1. Even more reassurances for increasingly worried, panic buying Hongkongers

2. COVID-19 |

   • At least 500 testing centres on the way

   • Has the ship sailed for conducting mass testing in Hong Kong? Apparently it may already have, according to a leading microbiologist

   • Virus tearing through prisons

   • HKTVMall to cancel some customer orders

3. Events

Behind the paywall:

• Politics | No changes to the (already postponed) date of CE election (yet..?)

• China |

• China expresses ‘concern’ over the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear plants

• Reducing the ‘social costs’ of China’s now infamous Covid-Zero strategy?

Become a premium subscriber for just $8US a month - extra daily news and weekend roundups!

Guys, there’s really no need to panic buy!

In another bid to (yet again) reassure worried Hongkongers fueled by rumours of an imminent citywide lockdown amid the worsening COVID-19 outbreak, transport minister Frank Chan on Thursday said during an RTHK programme that there was “no need to panic buy food”, noting that the city has a more than steady supply of fresh food from the mainland.

RTHK News Feed @RTHK_

No need to panic buy food, says transport minister

news.rthk.hkNo need to panic buy food, says transport minister - RTHKTransport Secretary Frank Chan has assured the public that Hong Kong has sufficient supply of fresh food from the mainland, and there’s no need for pe...

3:30 AM ∙ Mar 3, 2022

Chan’s assurances come on the heels of Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s comments on Wednesday, in which she reiterated there will not be a “wholesale” city lockdown in Hong Kong. But as residents become more confused from multiple U-turns in policy, I guess it’s safe to say all previous attempts to settle public unease was of little to no avail – because the last time I checked, Hongkongers were, indeed, panicking:

The Real Sam-san @TheRealSamsan1

@dahigginbothk @thestandardhk Whilst in hk supermarkets…

8:32 AM ∙ Mar 2, 2022

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At least 500 sample collection centres planned for citywide COVID-19 testing

COVID-19

The government on Thursday announced it aims to set up between 400-500 testing centres across Hong Kong ahead of this month’s universal COVID-19 testing, with families being able to book appointments together online in order to prevent the risk of long queues and massive crowds gathering around the centres.

• New cases: 56,827 (2 imported)

• New deaths: 144

• Total cases: 350,557

• Total deaths: 1,366

RTHK English News @rthk_enews

The 56,827 new #COVID19 infections sets yet another record, while the cumulative death toll from the current wave of Omicron infections have surged past the 1,000 mark #HongKong

news.rthk.hkHK adds 56,827 infections, Omicron deaths pass 1,000 - RTHKHong Kong on Thursday recorded 56,827 new reports of Covid infections - the highest daily count so far - as authorities said the cumulative death toll...

10:09 AM ∙ Mar 3, 2022

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Lockdown updates:

• 907 preliminary positive COVID-19 were uncovered following compulsory overnight lockdown exercises in Tin Shui Wai, Tsing Yi, Fo Tan, Kowloon City and Kwun Tong•

• The best time to conduct mass testing and vaccinate the elderly “has passed”

According to HKU microbiologist and leading government expert adviser Yuen Kwok-yung, who added carrying out citywide COVID-19 testing at this stage “wouldn’t be very helpful”. Yikes.

• No way to kill the pain

After rumours of a citywide lockdown sent residents into a panic buying frenzy, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong called on the government to support local firms in boosting paracetamol production after the drug was quickly snapped up and wiped off shelves by anxious shoppers.

• COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly within Hong Kong’s correctional institutions.

At least 1,000 inmates have come down with the virus so far, including prominent pro-democracy activists Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan. Lawyers will not be allowed to visit clients in prison for at least two weeks.

• The Hospital Authority is making several hospitals COVID-19 only
  These include:

  • TWGH Fung Yiu King Hospital

  • Haven of Hope Hospital

  • Ruttonjee Hospital

The CUHK Medical Centre is also set to admit COVID-19 patients.

• Two additional Mobile Vaccination Stations (MVS) will commence operations today.

The first MVS will offer Sinovac and start in Tuen Mun, moving to Tai Po and Tin Shui Wai later in the month. The second offer BioNTech and be based primarily in Tai Po.

HKTVMall may have to start cancelling your shopping orders

🇭🇰 5th 👋 Aaron @tripperhead

HKTVMall says it is facing unprecedented operational pressure with staff shortages across the board due to 5th wave infections. Some paid orders may be cancelled.

5:06 AM ∙ Mar 3, 2022

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Package hasn’t arrived yet? Well… you might want to double (or triple) check your order… 🥲

Popular online shopping platform HKTVMall on Thursday announced their plan to begin cancelling some customers’ orders amid “unprecedented pressure” hindering its operations, citing a surge in COVID-19 cases within several of its frontline warehouses. The retail company said affected customers will be notified.

Events and deals

Support Harbour Times, our friends and partners by attending these events! Let everyone know who sent you by tagging @harbourtimes

• 10% off the Cellar: La Cabane x Harbour Times

  lacabanehk

  

  A post shared by La Cabane - Natural Wine HK (@lacabanehk)

Our friends over at La Cabane have kindly given all High Tide subscribers 10% off everything on their online store - high quality wines, cheeses and wines-and-cheeses accessories.

Use the code HIGHONWINE10 at www.lacabane.hk to stock up your wine cellar today.

Hong Kong Arts Festival

Watch livestreamed operas and concerts, and even some one-on-one interactive live theatre! Make sure to register in advance - each show has its own attendance policy.

Highlights include

Theatre:

• To Be A Machine (Version 1.0), by Irish theater company Dead Centre (23 – 26 Mar)

• TM - A live interactive one-on-one experience exploring media manipulation, populist ideology and conspiracy theories - by Belgian theatre company Ontroerend Goed
  (every weekend till 27 Mar)

Music & Opera:

• Shostakovich’s The Nose performed by the Bavarian State Opera
  (10-17 Mar)

• Family Concert (for the kids) including classical favourites like Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals and Haas’s Little I-Am-Me.
  (11-25 Apr)

For more information, read our article on which shows are still running here.

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