The Great Shutdown by Jyoti Mukul

Author:Jyoti Mukul [Mukul, Jyoti]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

The concept of bubble flights took off from the Baltic region when three former Soviet states, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, agreed to open up travel among the three countries. Estonian President Jüri Ratas announced in a tweet that after a video call with Krišjānis Kariņš, the Prime Minister of Latvia, and Saulius Skvernelis, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, internal borders among the three countries were being opened up from 15 May. ‘It’s a big step towards life as normal,’ he said.30 Though persons travelling on Indian transport bubbles were required to quarantine, citizens from these three Baltic States could travel freely without self-isolating or quarantine requirements provided they had not travelled outside the Baltic States in the previous fourteen days and had no respiratory illness.31 Though this bubble was the first one in the twenty-seven-member European Union, it fell apart after working for four months. Latvia said those coming from Estonia needed to self-quarantine themselves starting 12 September for two weeks, because of increased infection in Estonia. Truck drivers, diplomats and certain other people who travelled for work were given an exemption.32

Singapore and Hong Kong also entered into an agreement on 11 November for an air travel bubble (ATB) starting from 22 November.33 Edward Yau Tang-wah, secretary for commerce and economic development, Government of Hong Kong, said, ‘This is the very first ATB for Hong Kong. It matters not only for cross-border travel between the two places, but also reflects the Government’s hope to progressively restore the city’s economic activities amid the long-drawn battle against COVID-19.’ Hong Kong and Singapore, he noted, are similar in terms of epidemic control; both are regional aviation hubs and international cities, enjoying strong trade, investment, finance, tourism and people-to-people ties. ‘The revival of cross-border air travel between the two places is of utmost importance. We hope that aviation, tourism, hotel, retail and catering businesses can benefit from it, thereby enabling Hong Kong’s economy to recover gradually,’ he said in a statement. Under the arrangement, travellers between the two cities were not to be subject to any quarantine arrangements upon arrival, nor were there any restrictions on their travel purposes or itineraries, on the condition that they complied with a set of anti-epidemic protocols.

On 21 November, a day before the first flight was to start, Hong Kong and Singapore decided to postpone it. ‘If the ATB (air transport bubble) is to be launched as scheduled tomorrow, chances of making immediate adjustment are high. The deferral of the inaugural flights is a suitable and responsible arrangement to minimise the inconvenience caused to the ATB travellers and reduce the uncertainty in their itineraries,’ said a statement.34 Golden and silver balloons that had been put up at the Hong Kong airport to welcome the launch of the travel arrangement were taken off and burst. Pictures of the deflated balloons strewn across the airport went viral, symbolizing the sorry situation when an intent to normalize operations could not be translated into action because of the pandemic. The bubble arrangement

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