Hong Kong Photo Gallery - COVID-19 (Tsim Sha Tsui 2022)

Hong Kong had enjoyed a relatively virus-free 2021 where life went on normally until omicron arrived in late December. First linked to an air crew who returned to the city, infection numbers swelled and the retailing and restaurant industries took the brunt of social distancing curbs once again. Dine-in was banned after 6pm and entertainment venues such as theme parks, theatres, and gyms were forced to close. With borders shut and the tourism industry in hibernation, Tsim Sha Tsui's once busy streets have empted out, and many businesses have shut for good. I took a walk around the district on a weekday in mid-March from 6-8pm, but it felt much later at night with so few shops still open. Knutsford Terrace was once full of bar patrons enjoying their evening drinks. Today, the lights are off and the restaurants wouldn't even bother operating take-out. The scene along Nathan Road is just as dire. Most shops along Park Lane have closed, when before the pandemic, this was a prime shopping district with crowds late into the night. Some spaces were rented out to sell cheap household goods, likely a desperation measure by the landlord as luxury watch and jewellery brands would no longer be interested. Continuing south towards the harbour, the side streets were also devoid of life. The malls in the area were not faring any better. iSquare's upper floors were almost entirely shut, although the empty benches are a nice place for chatting with a friend in serenity. China Hong Kong City used to be busy with ferry passengers heading to Macau and various cities in the Pearl River Delta, but with the port shut, almost all stores went dark with it.