(Bloomberg) -- Rising frustration from the public and financial institutions is pushing a review of pandemic control measures in Hong Kong, where a suite of stark containment measures have been in place since January to fight the city’s worst-ever Covid outbreak.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam pointed to the strain on residents and damage to the reputation of the once vibrant Asian financial hub for the revision, asking for a few more days before she unveils what could be sweeping changes to the city’s approach next week. 

“I have a very strong feeling that people’s tolerance is fading,” Lam told reporters at a briefing on Thursday. “I have a very good feeling that some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this isolated status of Hong Kong,” she said. “Nobody attaches as much importance as myself to Hong Kong’s international status.” 

Lam signaled a possible reduction in the amount of time new arrivals from abroad must spend in hotel quarantine and said virtually every area of her government’s approach is being scrutinized. The mid-term review includes measures such as the widely anticipated compulsory testing of the entire city and a related lockdown, flight bans on countries including the U.S. and the resumption of face-to-face learning in schools. 

Strong Signals

Despite Lam giving the strongest indication yet that changes may be coming for Hong Kong’s approach to handing the pandemic, they would still have to be acceptable in the eyes of Beijing. Leaders in China recently doubled down on their Covid-Zero approach as case counts soar in the world’s most populous country, implementing movement restrictions and locking down a number of cities, including Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong.

Yesterday, a top Beijing official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, said Shenzhen couldn’t relax its pandemic controls until Hong Kong achieves victory over the virus, local media outlet Sing Tao reported.

Hong Kong’s two-week quarantine for newly arriving travelers who have tested negative for the virus is now longer than the isolation period for people who are actively infected locally. New rules from the Center for Health Protection allow those that test negative with a rapid antigen test on the sixth or seventh day after contracting the virus to return to life as normal.

“So in terms of consistency, there is a very strong basis for us to apply more less the same rules to arrivals, we just need a bit more time,” Lam said.

Hong Kong has also suspended flights from nine countries including the U.S., UK and Australia. All gatherings of more than two people or two households, even in private, are banned, while dining-in at restaurants after 6 p.m. or with more than two people at any time has been suspended. Schools are closed for most of March and April, while beaches are cordoned off until further notice.

Vaccination Goals

Experts including Hong Kong University professor Yuen Kwok-yung have suggested Hong Kong can ease social distancing restrictions once more than 95% of the population has received their first shot of a Covid vaccine. But Lam said the city was still a ways off from reaching that goal, with the number of people getting their first injection falling in recent days.

More than 90% of Hong Kong residents older than 11 have gotten the first dose, and 81% have received two shots, according to data from CHP.    

“We’ve reached the last mile, but it’s also the hardest to overcome,” Lam said. “Some people have a very strong stance, they’re very resolute about not taking the vaccine.” 

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