Hong Kong Bar Mogul Says Businesses Need a Say in Virus Plan

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's government needs to include the business sector in its Covid decision-making process instead of relying solely on health experts, according to nightlife mogul Allan Zeman, after mixed messages about a potential citywide lockdown sparked chaos and confusion.

“Mixed messages from different government officials are not helping and are causing a lot of panic,” Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, said in a Bloomberg TV interview on Thursday. “It's time to get everyone together” including business professionals, given Hong Kong's status as an international hub, he said.

Conflicting local media reports about the duration and severity of a lockdown expected to occur during mass testing later this month sparked a spate of panic buying this week that's seen supermarket shelves stripped bare. In a letter to Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Zeman urged clarity on what measures will be put in place and criticized the government's health advisers for fueling the confusion by giving a mix of opinions.

Lam responded Wednesday that officials would ensure clear and accurate information to alleviate the anxiety of residents.

The outspoken criticism from Zeman, who serves on an advisory council for Lam and has been a vocal supporter of her administration, highlights the depth of frustration in Hong Kong. Over the past two years the city has imposed increasingly strict anti-virus measures and some of the most disruptive travel curbs in the world, including extensive quarantine periods and flight bans, in pursuit of the Covid Zero strategy it shares with mainland China.

But the measures have crumbled in the face of the highly transmissible omicron variant. The city is now straining under the pressure of its worst ever outbreak, with the death rate among the highest in the world.

While other international cities have decided to live with the virus, Hong Kong is doubling down on its Covid-control strategy, and it's planning the kind of city-wide testing that's been frequently used in mainland Chinese cities to root out flare-ups. Officials are also mulling restrictions on people's outdoor movement during testing.

The city has already closed schools, banned evening dining at restaurants and shut bars to try and contain the outbreak. About 5,000 restaurants, or almost one third of Hong Kong's eateries, may shut down for months in order to cut costs, the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades warned last month. More than 1,200 restaurants have already suspended business and 300 have permanently closed. Major supermarket chains and pharmacies are also closing or shortening trading hours as infections increase.

“Businesses need stability, they need confidence,” Zeman said. “There's a panic right now and I'm just trying to settle it for everyone.”