A guide to post-Covid-19 vaccination do’s and don’ts

After more than a year long of social distancing and travel restrictions, Hongkongers can finally be more at ease now that Covid-19 vaccinations have been made accessible city-wide. However, whether you have taken your second dose or are still waiting on your first, there are certain precautions that are worth noting post-vaccination. Here are a few of the questions regarding what you can do and are advised not to do.

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Do I need to wear a mask?
Although getting vaccinated reduces the risk of virus transmission, it still takes two weeks to build up a resistance and you have to be fully vaccinated (two doses). Even then, it is not certain how much the vaccine reduces transmission. So, wearing a mask in public spaces, and continuing risk-reduction measures like washing hands regularly and social distancing in crowded spaces are still advisable.

Can I throw / attend a party?
Gatherings among friends and family are much safer if every individual in the group has been fully vaccinated. In a recent press conference, it was announced that dine-in restrictions for groups will be relaxed if every member of the group and staff are fully vaccinated.

Can I visit my elderly parents?
The months-long visiting restrictions imposed on visitors at elderly homes saw an unfortunate rise in mental health problems and a ‘loneliness epidemic’. Thankfully, it was recently announced that fully vaccinated persons will be able to visit their families in elderly homes and hospitals again.

Can I visit families with children?
Although children of ages 16 and below are not advised to be vaccinated, as long as a person is fully vaccinated and are limiting gatherings to small groups, the risk of virus transmission is reduced and is generally safer.

Can I travel out of Hong Kong?
Restrictions on travel in the near future could include quarantine-free travel bubbles for fully vaccinated persons. However, as it stands in the meantime, persons arriving in Hong Kong still have to quarantine at a hotel for three weeks.

In the case of China, travelling across the boarder will need strong reason and documentation, though taking a vaccine made in China will increase your chances of approval.

Will I be immune to other variants of Covid-19 mutations?
A number of countries including United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa have reported mutated strains of the Covid-19 virus which has prompted the local government to consider its next steps in procuring a new generation of vaccines that will better protect the public from Covid-19 mutations, according to Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan.

Bright Spots: Moments of positivity in 2020

Despite a turbulent 2020, the past 12 months have still yielded moments of positivity

Although 2020 was wracked with a global pandemic courtesy of the coronavirus, which caused economic and political turmoil across the globe, the past 12 months still managed to be punctuated with moments of great positivity. Below, we celebrate the silver linings of the year gone by, be it the rise of health worker heroes, the plummeting levels of global pollution or the surge in family bonding time.

NEW HEROES HAVE EMERGED, LED BY HEALTH WORKERS

Frontline doctors, nurses and other health workers, especially those who perished while battling Covid-19, have been hailed as modern-day heroes as they courageously defied fears and risks to their personal health so others would live. Despite the continuing pall of gloom cast by the global pandemic, frontline doctors and other health workers raise hopes and inspiration as they press on in their battle against an unseen lethal enemy.

FAMILY BONDING RECEIVED A HUGE BOOST

During normal times, senior executives and entrepreneurs often spend long hours at work to run their businesses, often at the expense of family time. This phenomenon is by no means unique in Hong Kong, but thankfully, the pandemic has ushered in a new normal, with these elite businesspeople now consigned to working at home. In the process, they’re getting to spend more quality time with family members, which goes a very long way in bolstering family bonding and relationships.

MUSIC CONCERTS GOT MORE CREATIVE AND ACCESSIBLE

Undeterred by bans on huge music concerts due to Covid-19-related social distancing, scores of the world’s famous entertainers and other celebrities, including Elton John, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney, banded together for a huge online charity concert, One World: Together at Home, on April 18 that was globally televised and shown live on ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, iHeartMedia, Bell Media networks and online platforms in Canada. It was held to celebrate and support healthcare workers, as well as feature real-life experiences of doctors, nurses and families around the world. Shortly thereafter, Lady Gaga released a new album online, which features a selection of upbeat songs, while Demi Lovato reprised her Grammy performance, followed by a flawless delivery of the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In a heart-warming twist, musicians serenaded a quiet, leafy audience of nearly 2,300 house plants as the Liceu opera house in Barcelona, Spain reopened its doors on June 22. Proceeds from the performance were later donated to charity.

BUSINESSES LARGE AND SMALL WENT ONLINE

Numerous companies – large, medium, small and micro – across the world went online to reach out to their customers forced home or restricted from travel by Covid-19-induced lockdowns. Online commerce received an unwitting huge stimulus, while consumers now enjoy more convenience and ease in their purchases.

READING WAS RE-DISCOVERED

Left with no choice but to stay home for extended periods of time, many have re-discovered their passion for reading, be it the old-fashioned way with a hardcopy of a best-seller or digitally through the use of a Kindle or some other handy tablet.

BAKING, GARDENING AND OTHER DOMESTIC CHORES TOOK OFF

Staying home with little or no physical activities is bound to hit the waistline as the temptation to overeat becomes irresistible. In this regard, baking curiously emerged as boon and bane since a wide array of muffins, cookies, baked pastas and other baked dishes often enticed everyone in the household to consume extra calories more than their usual intakes. Gardening, spring cleaning and a few other chores, though, helped maintain the balance thanks to their physical exertions. In all, many families used the enforced home lockdowns to turn their hand at tasks long left undone.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE… BIG COMPANIES BOLSTERED THEIR CSR (CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY)

Criticised periodically for amassing huge profits but not giving back enough to the communities where they operate and serve, certain large corporations took pro-active measures to help those in great need amid the pandemic. Some cases in point were Apple and 3M, which pooled their resources or tinkered with their operations to produce millions of face masks to help keep people safe from the continuing spread of Covid-19. Other American companies, notably Ford, General Motors, Tesla and other automakers, also ventured into areas where they have not tread before, particularly through production of ventilators and other medical devices to help save lives of those stricken with the lethal pandemic. Alcoholic drinks producers in different countries also pitched in and re-calibrated portions of their businesses to produce hand sanitisers.

TIK TOK TURNED SCORES INTO INSTANT ENTERTAINERS

With more personal time on their hands than ever before, a surge of would-be entertainers took to short video apps like Tik Tok to try pass the days. Before Tik Tok was banned in Hong Kong, Indonesia, India and in several other countries, the short video app became extremely popular and its use exploded across the world as it enabled users to create and share lots of fun and entertaining videos which often featured their creators as principal performers. From adorable pet videos to dancing shows, vocal performances and more, they gifted the world with an entirely new stream of fun.

THANKS TO ZOOM, PARTIES AND MANY OTHER FESTIVITIES ARE STILL ON

Milestone events, including birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, conferences, trade exhibitions and many others went online during the enforced Covid-19 social distancing, thanks to Zoom and other video conference apps. With gatherings banned, the need for a communal space prompted organisers to come up with new ways of bringing people together. Video conferencing tools emerged as a convenient solution, with Zoom one of the major beneficiaries. Today, it’s not uncommon to find families – particularly those who are spread across borders – to utilise this innovative method to connect with their loved ones.

THOUGH VIRAL, ROMANCE CONTINUES TO BLOOM AND PROSPER

Romance is often impatient, and some separated lovers simply can’t wait for a Covid-19 vaccine to get approved for mass use. Great affection almost always inspires and fuels innovations and creativity, and this explains the use of drones in various places to deliver fresh flowers and other goodies to a loved one. No more candle-lit, intimate dinners? Hardly a problem. Online romantic dinners are not uncommon – with promises of a return to lovely evenings together in person when normalcy returns.

CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FELL SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE WORLD AS FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY CONSUMPTION FELL STEEPLY

An unprecedented reduction in carbon dioxide emissions was recorded across the world during the first half of 2020, much larger than the level during the 2008 financial crisis, 1979 oil crisis and even World War II, as fossilised fuel use plunged amid Covid-19 lockdowns and curtailed travel across the globe. During the period, emissions were slashed by 1,551 million tonnes or 8.8 percent compared to the first half in 2019, according to a study by an international research team, led by Zhu Liu from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The plummeting levels of global pollution has even reversed the effects of climate change in some countries, promoting several species of wildlife to return to once-abandoned habitats, such as pink dolphins in Hong Kong harbour and pink flamingos in Mumbai. While Covid-19 has left its indelible mark, it’s clear 2020 still found reason for good cheer.

Travel Bug: Immunise yourself with our cure-all tourism tonic…

A black-market in surgical masks, toilet paper rarer than panda pups and with sharing an elevator with a neighbour ranked slightly more risky than French-kissing a leper, it’s safe to say that all is not well in Asia’s World City. With Covid-19, or Son of SARS as it is more chummily known – seeing quarantine pants as this season’s in-look, suddenly schools are shuttered and working-from-home is the new popping-out-to-the office.

In very midst of this doomsdayish scenario, there may, however, be something of a silver lining. With your entire family pretty much enjoying an enforced, prolonged absence from the worlds of academia and commerce, why not put the Coronavirus firmly in your rearview mirror and – respect for incubation periods permitting – head off somewhere every bit as convivial as it is uncontaminated. Indeed, for those preferring panoramic views to pestilence, our cure-all tourism tonic may serve up some alternatives…

QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND

A reassuring 9,293km away from Hong Kong, the picturesque Kiwi city of Queenstown is quite literally on the other side of the planet. The self-proclaimed Adventure Capital of the World, this tiny, 27,000-strong resort has made itself a must-visit via its unrivalled range of perilous pastimes, most notably white-water rafting, bungee jumping, canyon swinging and skydiving.

For the less adrenaline-addicted, however, there’s also a range of more sedate, less coronary-event-inducing activities on offer. You could, for instance, opt for a relaxing soak in one of the many hot pools dotting Queenstown’s mountains, all the while taking in the beauty of Lake Hayes. Alternatively, you could venture farther afield by flying over the picturesque fjords of Milford Sound or round up your brood and head for Arrowtown, once a primary gold rush destination, and try your hand at panhandling for a precious metal or two.

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

First settled back in 1070 AD, Marrakech is pretty much the dream destination of any true history enthusiast. One of four imperial cities of Morocco’s ancient Berber empire, its rich heritage is evident in every nook – the 11th-century red walls that ring the city, the glittering 16th-century Badi Palace or the Koutoubia Mosque, completed in 1199 and still the city’s most capacious place of worship. Meandering through the 11,414km-distant Ochre City’s winding streets, you’d be hard pressed to remember just why your luggage is crammed with latex gloves and Dettol.

Anyone who assumes that Marrakech is synonymous solely with ancient sights, however, would be sorely mistaken. Not only is it home to genuinely jaw-droppingly gorgeous views – it does, after all, sit embraced by the Atlas Mountains – the city itself is a kaleidoscope of colours and activity. Treat yourself to some spices at one of Medina’s many open-air souks (traditional markets), sign up for a relaxing soak at a hammam spa, or stroll through the gorgeous greenery of Majorelle Gardens, all the while taking every opportunity to sample many of the delicious local delicacies.

MEGÈVE, FRANCE

Ever since the patronage of the Rothschild family catapulted it to fame at the dawn of the 20th century, Megève – an exclusive French ski-resort region some 9,503km from Hong Kong – has been a winter getaway of choice for the wealthier snow-sport aficionados. Once a quaint village tucked away among the French Alps’ lesser-known Savoie peaks, its perfectly powdered snow-laden slopes, gourmet dining options and wondrous wellness retreats have ensured it of truly international acclaim.

Most of all, though, its renowned for its extensive ski terrain, a staggering ski area that extends across more than 445km and includes 220 pistes and in excess of 100 lifts, all of which help knit together the network of small villages that dot the mountainside. It also caters to all levels – novices can attempt one of the many nursery slopes, while the more experienced skiers have an array of red, blue and green trails to choose from. For the truly adventurous, though, there’s no better way to get the adrenaline pumping than a spot of heli-skiing, a pricey pastime that sees a helicopter employed to drop a skier, right at the top of their chosen peak, which they can then zip down through virgin, previously untracked snow.

MACHU PICCHU, PERU

Roughly six centuries ago, a small plateau nestling between two verdant Andean peaks, was selected to as the site of the Inca Empire’s greatest city – Machu Picchu. Abandoned a century later, it wouldn’t be until the early 20th century, when explorer Hiram Bingham accidentally stumbled upon its ruins, that this stunning settlement would be revealed in all its truly stunning glory. One of the seven New Wonders of the World – and, arguably, the most instantly recognisable – it is now a featured on the bucket list of discerning travellers everywhere.

While completing the climb to lofty Machu Picchu may not be for the faint of heart, it’s worth the effort. Once you reach the very top, stretched out before you is a pristinely preserved maze of crumbling temples, palaces and houses, all of which ebb and flow in out of view as the mists rise and fall, with the most memorable of soundtracks coming courtesy of the Urumbamba River as it rushes by some 500m below. It’s a truly magical setting, one that couldn’t be further removed from the current rigours of Hong Kong life.

GOA, INDIA

Closer to home at just 4,271km away, the Indian state of Goa has long been a classic getaway destinat ion for stressed out citizens of the world. And with good reason. Its picture-per fect beaches, colour ful architecture, relaxed ambience, delicious food and friendly inhabitants have catapulted Goa to become one of the most popular destinations within the region.

Stacked high with ultra-luxury resorts, there’s no shortage of choice when it comes to premium accommodations either. Indeed, with many high-end brands – notably Grand Hyatt, Taj Hotels, Leela and ITC – all keen to woo well-heeled guests, there’s more than enough luxury villas, infinity pools, exclusive-use white sandy beaches and fine-dining establishments to go around. With Kids’ Clubs now also fairly ubiquitous, it’s also famously family friendly.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: Imagine China