Tse Jiahao, consultant of the Hong Kong Live Performance and Production Industry Association and Marketing Director of Baohui Entertainment, said in a radio program on Friday (10th) that the government is considering expanding the scope of "vaccine bubble" to watch concerts and intends to require performers at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom. And the audience must be vaccinated against the new crown before entering the venue.
The association expressed its concern that citizens who have purchased tickets may not be able to enter the venue due to the new measures, which may cause a blow to the industry.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department responded that the government has indicated that it will consider expanding the scope of application of the "vaccine bubble" to all premises regulated by the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Instructions) (Business and Premises) Regulations at an appropriate time. This promotes the public to be vaccinated, and at the same time, considers appropriate exemption arrangements. I am now aware of the concerns of the industry, including performance venue renters and related parties.
Tightening measures must balance industry interests
Although the health and safety of the general public should be put first under the epidemic, the interests of the entertainment industry also need to be taken into consideration.
Especially in the past two years, the entertainment industry has been under tremendous pressure, and a large number of entertainment venues have been suspended for a long time in response to the government's epidemic prevention requirements.
UA Cinemas, one of the leading theaters in Hong Kong, announced the closure of its entire operations in March this year. It bluntly stated that it was a decision made under the influence of the epidemic and long-term operating pressure.
At present, the industry is mainly worried that the sudden tightening measures will make potential target customers choose not to enter the venue because they have not been vaccinated, which will further reduce the box office revenue that has been affected by the epidemic.
In addition, if a customer who has already purchased a ticket chooses to refund the ticket, how to proceed with subsequent processing is also a big problem.
If the government decides to tighten measures, it is necessary to provide appropriate support for the industry to transition and adapt at the same time, otherwise it may cause the industry to increase its operating pressure again.
The government may require performers and spectators in the Hung Hom Stadium to give injections.
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Implementation details must be clearly determined
Regarding the future admission tickets that have been sold, there are already many performances that will be held in the Red Pavilion and the Kowloon Bay International Exhibition and Trade Center. However, this suggestion is actually not feasible, because tickets often do not necessarily indicate the order date, and there are many obstacles for operators to check.
Compared with the "transitional period" arrangement, it seems more appropriate for the bureau to set an exact deadline for admission of non-injected taxis.
At the same time, there needs to be at least 21 days between the two doses of vaccination. Therefore, some people who plan to participate in the activities at the end of this year or early next year have no chance of being in time for the injection.
The government must determine the vaccination requirements before entering the venue as early as possible, especially to clarify to the public whether only a minimum dose or the complete set of vaccinations are required, so as to avoid the embarrassing situation that someone may not meet the admission requirements after purchasing tickets.
Finally, with regard to the "vaccine bubble", the authorities should also learn from the past experience in implementing the mandatory use of "safe travel", and determine and announce the detailed criteria for exemption as soon as possible to avoid repetition of past chaos.
Vaccine passports need to have adequate planning to implement ``vaccine passports'', be cautious and fair, and the third dose of the new crown vaccine can be used to test the government’s message