🌊Food festival without food

Still on 2G Get with the times!

Aug 11

Good morning,

A few days ago we covered the sad shuttering of yet another aged eating establishment; traveling onward towards a heaven where costumers consumed undeterred by COVID. Where LeaveHomeSafe does not need to be scanned by unhappy staff, and where staff are definitely not owed four months of overdue salaries.

Anyway, we made a meme:

This hasn’t yet been posted on any socials, you’re the first to see it!

~ Cyril

On Today’s Tide

Society |
- Food Festival runs without food
- ‘Secrets’ Facebook pages shut down
COVID
Technology | The slow death of 2G
Events

Behind the paywall:

Government | Officials and ExCo release conflicts of interest
Politics | 55% of HKers not interested; 47% say the gov doesn’t care

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

We live in a society

No food at the food expo

Fion Li @fion_li

Not sure how to caption this but here's a picture by Ming Pao about the #HongKong Food Expo where ppl aren't allowed to eat (sample food).

The popular Hong Kong Food Expo started yesterday but with one caveat…no one can eat.

In the past, the expo was popular for ~~cheap meals~~ plentiful free trials that let you test what you buy. However, on COVID grounds, such trivial matters were brushed aside despite protest from the F&B industry that it would lower sales. This is ironically a harsher measure than last year where the public could try food at specific tasting areas, as long as they signed in using ‘LeaveHomeSafe’.

Nonetheless, fans lined up overnight (some even from Monday allegedly) to be the first to enter in order to enter a competition for 1$ cans of abalones. One woman who managed to snag 150 cans said she would share it with family.

No more secrets

Meanwhile in the virtual sphere, a bunch of ‘Secrets’ Facebook pages were shut down following the arrest of four civil servants by the National Security Police under sedition charges. Two were administrators of the Civil Servants Secrets Facebook page, the other two simply members. They were arrested for “publishing posts to disseminate seditious messages that promoted feelings of ill will and enmity between different classes of Hong Kong's population”.

The ‘secrets’ Facebook trend are groups where people anonymously complain, post stories or spread insider information about their experiences in a certain group. They originally started as anonymous gossip groups for high schools and Universities before spreading to other parts of society.

So far, Hospital Authority Secrets, CUHK Secrets and Parents Secrets have been deleted.

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is looking into 4,180 additional locally acquired #COVID19 cases, of which 1,289 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,891 via verified rapid antigen tests

news.gov.hk4.1k local virus cases recordedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is looking into 4,180 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 1,289 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 2,891 via verified rapid antigen tests.

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

New cases: 4376 (196 imported)
Total cases: 1,402,296
New deaths: 1
Total deaths: 9,555

SmarTone cancels 2G - the end is near

The government has allowed a request from SmarTone to cancel their 2G network come 14 Oct. According to SmarTone, only 0.1% of their client base use 2G; the 2G spectrums will be repurposed for 4G and 5G.

SmarTone isn’t the first company to get rid of their 2G network - 3HK stopped their service in Sept 2021.

The Communications Office has renewed calls for all HK resident to ditch their dumb phones and get updated smart phones soon.

Events and deals

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

Lifeline Mental Health Livefest at The Wanch

The uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic has made it exceedingly difficult for the music industry, particularly live music. Indefinite restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the mental health of not only the artists, but also the thousands of people who work alongside them.

On 20th August 2022, Musicians Foundation will be conducting an afternoon of TedX-style talks focusing on raising awareness on music and mental health.

When: Sat 20 Aug, 3-5pm
Where: The Wanch
Cost: Free
Sign up here (places limited for COVID regulations)

Official media partner: ReThink HK returns 5-6 Oct

HT is proud to once again be a media partner for ReThink - HK’s biggest and most exciting sustainability conference. This year’s conference invites more than 300 expert speakers to share their visions and insights, covering important topics like economic progression while coexisting with nature harmoniously, efficient use of resources, transformation to a low-carbon society, and circular economy for future generations.

Sign up here using the code HTP22 for 40% off!

For more local events, check out yesterday’s High Tide.