HONG KONG/SINGAPORE. The already delayed Air Travel Bubble (ATB) between Hong Kong and Singapore has been postponed again, this time until an undefined date in 2021 following a continued spike in Hong Kong’s COVID-19 cases. The news is a further body blow to the stricken tourism sector in both locations and to related sectors such as travel retail.
Hong Kong health authorities on Monday reported 76 infections, including 40 in an expanding “super-spreading” cluster involving dancing halls and restaurants.
The ATB had been set to launch on 22 November but at the 11th hour was postponed for two weeks amid the beginning of a ‘fourth wave’ in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said today that the ATB would be reviewed in late December.
“The decision on a further deferral of the launch date of the ATB was taken in view of the severity of the epidemic situation in Hong Kong, with the number of local cases of unknown sources increasing rapidly,” the Bureau said.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yesterday revealed a wave of tough new measures to curb the latest surge. They include capping public gatherings to two people, cutting restaurant dining hours, closing more entertainment venues, and raising fines for non-compliance.
