Virus pricks HK-Singapore travel bubble before debut

How much risk will a vital hub of global commerce entertain to open an important chunk of the economy? None, appears to be the answer, judging by the suspension of the Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble on the eve of its debut.
The two finance and transport centres hit pause on what would have been the world’s first quarantine-free bubble, citing a spike in Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong. After seeming to suppress the disease, the city witnessed a jump in infections last week, prompting new social curbs. Singapore says the travel lane will be reviewed in two weeks.
While the decision is understandable, it only goes to show that any kind of aviation and tourism recovery is tenuous in the absence of a widely distributed and proven vaccine. Service between the cities was supposed to begin with a few flights a week. Passengers could travel for any purpose, business or leisure, and weren’t subject to a controlled itinerary. (That’s a distinction from so-called green lanes, which are for essential work and official purposes.) Officials had hoped that the symbolic start would grow into something more substantive — if they could demonstrate it worked safely. Optimism will be one casualty of the deferment.
The delay was all the more jarring because hours earlier, Singapore authorities insisted the launch would proceed as scheduled. Officials even added provisional precautions, requiring arrivals from Hong Kong to take a Covid test upon arrival at Changi Airport and isolate for a few hours while they awaited results. Prior to that announcement, passengers were required only to take the test pre-departure in Hong Kong.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to forestall an eleventh-hour U-turn. “I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips,” Singapore Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook statement on Saturday. “But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint… This is a sober reminder that the Covid-19 virus is still with us, and even as we fight to regain our normal lives, the journey will be full of ups and downs.”
Airports in Hong Kong and Singapore are normally among the world’s busiest. While the bubble wouldn’t have driven a rebound itself, it may have stanched some of the bleeding.
Officials hoped the bubble would become a model for cranking up travel globally, and there was no small amount of anticipation in Singapore ahead of the scheduled launch. Doctors reported a jump in demand for coronavirus testing — an advance exam was a pre-requisite for boarding.
—Bloomberg