moondog

I'm guessing more cities will jump on that bandwagon, but I just checked ICN-CTU (because it's easy to get to Korea), and there's a nonstop flight on Thursdays at 7p that sells for $549.

boat stuck

You can probably make back the cost of a business class ticket on UA857 if you fill a suitcase with Kirkland-brand acetaminophen and resell it in the mainland

travelinmanS

It�s not official but it�s looking like 0+3 begins next month. Here is the rumor from a HK source.

percysmith

Why not get CCTV to inform us of the decision?

"The company is registered in and named after Hong Kong, but most of its programmes are produced in mainland China." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HKSTV

0xeb

Previously multiple source said Jan 9 would be the date of reopening, and it's around the same

travelinmanS

I�m getting confirmation from my friends in the Shanghai government that the Jan 3rd date is accurate. Take from this what you will.

Anyhow, things will likely open very soon. I wonder how they will deal with lack of flights and visa processing.

0xeb

That's great news, given the current situation quarantining inbound passengers who are mostly covid negative makes zero sense.

YuropFlyer

Not sure why all the panic from those having been vaccinated - even with Sinovac. I don't think anyone here is really elderly, either.

When the West decided to let Omicron run free, some countries had low vaccination rates as low as 50%, in Eastern Europe, where the hospital system can only be described as "worse than China". Some of those countries had Sinovac or Sputnik, or J&J.. not the "good" Moderna stuff.. still, people weren't dropping left and right. The difference is that in those countries quite some people might have had some contact with covid in earlier waves, but that's about it.

So.. I know that in HKG, for a while, it seems hospitals were overwhelmed? While for example in Singapore, but also much poorer countries like Thailand, nothing much happened when Omicron was given green light to become endemic..

I'll happily get my second booster, omicron-improved variant shot. But then, why worry?

travelinmanS

Who is panicking here? Seems everyone is celebrating the end of the chairman's glorious zero COVID policy. I wish they had taken this obvious decision before locking me down for a few months earlier this year but I'll be happy that they are taking it now.

YuropFlyer

Ah, then I might have misunderstood.

Yeah, they should have learned from Singapore in early 2022, got vaccination rate up (If a one-party system is too weak to enforce 99% vaccination like Singapore, that's NOT a good sign) and opened up in late spring, I fully agree.

They lost 7-8 months AND opening up in the worst part of the year now AND their vaccination rate hasn't improved, more the contrary. [mod edit]

percysmith

From a FT perspective, none. We�ve no skin in the game. Death toll of 1 or 10 million since new measures is irrelevant. Very very few of us live there permanently.

If we do, we may think different, but that�s OT.

Legitimate concerns are when reopening to inbound foreign travellers, what level of requirements imposed when we get there, what we need to bring more of.

Also, because we buy stuff from there, what�s the effect on the supply chain in the short term.

narvik

According to this Chengdu didn't go 2+3, but did introduce a 2+6 on a trial basis for some.

gudugan

5+3, 2+6, next we will have 3.1415+4.8585, 1.618+6.382, 2.7182+5.2818, 6.022+1.978 ...

mlin32

Wonder how long it will take for the airlines to resume regular passenger services.....if it's anything like CX and HKG, going to be unfortunately quite awhile before tourists and families can visit.

boat stuck

As long as the mainland opens up the border with HK, it'll be enough. Flights to HKG are now cheap and plentiful, so until PVG/PEK flights ramp up, one can just fly into HKG and catch a high speed train from West Kowloon station or take the ferry to Shenzhen airport and get a domestic flight from there.