Hong Kong to ban flights from US, UK to curb omicron spread

• To ban flights from 8 countries
• That includes US, UK, Australia, Canada, Philippines, France, Pakistan, India
• Major events to be cancelled from 7 Jan to 20 Jan
• Indoor dining venues to close at 6pm starting from Friday
• Entertainment venues, gyms, bars, karaoke, night clubs to close from Friday

The new restrictions above will take effect for at least two weeks. As much as the rest of the world is hoping to move on from the pandemic, it still feels like a stop-start situation for Hong Kong and China. In that regard, it remains a key risk factor to watch for global growth and inflation. More on that below:

• Omicron optimism but what about inflation?
• Omicron might not be a big problem...with one gigantic exception