Hong Kong's government has initiated a new campaign to promote politeness among its residents, aiming to revitalize the city's tourism industry, which has yet to fully rebound from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent political changes.

Culture, Sports, and Tourism Secretary Kevin Yeung announced the multi-department effort on Monday, acknowledging that a "handful of black sheep" have made headlines for behavior that "tarnishes our image." The campaign comes in response to growing complaints about unfriendly service staff and rude taxi drivers, which have been identified as deterrents for tourists, reports Time magazine.

The initiative involves various government departments working together to improve the city's hospitality. The Education Bureau will implement programs to teach courtesy to students, while the Home Affairs Department will organize community activities to encourage friendliness, potentially including reward schemes for "good performance."

Yeung also revealed plans to share a series of video clips urging residents to "go the extra mile" in promoting Hong Kong's hospitality and to volunteer at visitor centers.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee endorsed the campaign during his regular press conference on Tuesday. "I ask you all to take part, to enhance visitors' experience," Lee said through an interpreter. "We should be more courteous, we should be more helpful, we should smile more, we should take the extra mile to promote Hong Kong's hospitality so that Hong Kong will become a well-known place where visitors are welcome."

This isn't the first time Hong Kong has attempted to address its perceived attitude problem. Similar politeness campaigns were launched in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, the city continues to struggle with attracting pre-pandemic levels of visitors, despite lifting strict COVID-19 travel measures and organizing over 200 "mega events," including conferences, concerts, and sports games.

Data from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department and Tourism Board show that visitor arrivals peaked at over 6.7 million in January 2019. In April 2024, the number was less than half that figure.

The decline in visitor numbers coincides with Hong Kong's shifting political landscape. Arrivals began to dip following major pro-democracy protests in 2019 and subsequent government actions to quell dissent and anti-China sentiment in the city. Some observers suggest that ongoing political tensions, along with other social and economic factors, may contribute to the perceived brusqueness of Hong Kong residents.

The profile of Hong Kong's post-pandemic tourism has also changed significantly. In 2010, 10% of visitors were from Europe and the Americas, while 63% were from mainland China. By 2023, these figures shifted to 5% and 79%, respectively. Additionally, travel warnings issued by countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, cautioning their citizens about "arbitrary" and "broad" enforcement of local laws, may be impacting visitor numbers from these regions.

Secretary Yeung acknowledged the limitations of the campaign, stating, "The hospitality movement cannot solve all of society's problems, but the spirit is what counts.

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The report, which is based on hundreds of reports relayed by Israeli embassies in recent weeks, indicates that coverage of Israel has undergone a transformation during that time period.

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When the coronavirus pandemic first hit in late January 2020, "Israel's [approach] was viewed with hostility, mainly due to its decisions to cancel flights, close borders and remove foreign nationals in the first stage, and later on for its implementation of cellular location technologies that Israeli security agencies were using in the fight against terror," the report said.

This line of reasoning, however, quickly changed course. Once the scope of the pandemic became more apparent in the West, articles involving Israel began praising the country's life-saving policies.

"In the second stage, Israel was portrayed as a model of a country successfully coping with the medical crisis, precisely due to all the reasons for which it was previously criticized," the report said. Israel also received recognition for its immense efforts on behalf of its citizens stranded across the globe during the crisis.  

'A diplomatic opportunity'

The report went on to say that the global media's extensive coverage of the coronavirus crisis greatly reduced its coverage of international affairs, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is beneficial to Israel. The report also noted that interfaith cooperation in Israel during the pandemic received attention as well, for example, the famous photo of the Magen David Adom paramedic, one a Muslim and the other an orthodox Jew, praying alongside one another 

Noam Katz, the deputy director of media and public affairs at the Foreign Ministry, told Israel Hayom that "from a media representation standpoint, we can say the coronavirus was beneficial for Israel twice. The international discourse moved to the digital media, where Israel operates no less than 850 channels in different languages – such that we had a comfortable starting position.

"Secondly, the coronavirus helped focus the discourse on Israel's advantages, in science and high-tech, and also from the perspective of interfaith relations."

Foreign Minister Israel Katz added that "the coronavirus crisis created an opportunity for Israel to present our immense contribution to science and innovation in the world."

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, EGMO 2020 was held via remote communication with 204 girls from 53 countries taking part.

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The Israeli team comprised silver medal winner Nogah Friedman, bronze winner Nicole Grosman, bronze winner Maya Kleinstien and Roni Hazan.

The event has been held annually since 2012, with this being the fifth time Israel has sent a team to compete.

The girls were supported and trained by Tel Aviv University, the Future Scientists Center and the Education Ministry. 

CEO of the Future Scientists Center supported by the Maimonides Fund Eli Fried said that these "Israeli students make us all proud."

The competition consists of a series of math problems that each team solves using a computer, and the answers are graded by a panel of judges. Medals are awarded according to the quality of the solution proposed, meaning there can be more than just three winners.

Friedman, 13.5, who won a silver medal, said: "We were supposed to go to Holland, but it was canceled because of the coronavirus a month ago, but we knew it would be on-line. There were all types of training throughout the year, training camps too, but the last month I worked with a trainer via Zoom… The competition itself consists of two tests that are each four-and-a-half hours long. We did them over last weekend, and [Wednesday] the results came in. We went into the website and saw the official result. The feeling is great, I'm very happy. The medal should come in the mail, but it will take a while."

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 The site, which partners with nonprofit organizations and companies from the high-tech and health care sectors, awarded Israel a score of 619. The site ranked Singapore at No. 2 and Slovakia No. 3.

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However, it should be noted that the methodology used to arrive at the rankings have not been clarified.

 Associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel received its high ranking because of "the strict steps promoted by the prime minister."

 "Israel is ranked first among the safest countries in the world. The over-preparation, in which it is a leader, is justified, and that has resulted in Israel leading among western countries," one associate said.

 As of Tuesday, a statistical analysis prepared by Jason Oke and Carl Heneghan of Oxford University indicated that an Israeli resident who contracts coronavirus has a 0.37% chance of dying, making the overall chances of surviving the virus in Israel some of the best in the world.

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According to the ministry, the majority of cases are mild. As of Sunday, 37 people have recovered from the disease.

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On Sunday, Israel's defense establishment asked for the mandate in handling the growing coronavirus crisis. Senior defense officials said that the IDF was "ready and willing to do so immediately," and that any delay could cost lives.

Under Israeli law, if the government declares a national state of emergency, the Home Front Command is authorized to assume responsibility for crisis management in civilian authorities. The military's mandate over localities elapses immediately when the state of emergency is lifted. 

In recent days, the IDF has stepped up preparations for the possibility that the Defense Ministry might take the lead in the battle against corona, even though the matter is currently designated as the responsibility of the Health Ministry, with the Defense Ministry serving an auxiliary role.

The IDF has been making independent preparations for a scenario in which the Health Ministry can no longer cope with the demands placed upon it, especially if the number of corona patients in Israel continues to rise in the next few days.

As part of its groundwork, the IDF has updated its special protocol for natural disasters and renamed it "Ray of Light." The directive includes preparations for extreme scenarios in which the IDF would have to take over the handling of the entire civilian economy as well as control the population.

The IDF hopes that the Israel Police will be responsible for enforcing the mandatory lockdown and other instructions to the public, but if the situation continues to worsen, the nation will be divided into sections, each of which will be placed under the command of a division. Individual cities and towns will be assigned to brigades, with battalions responsible for neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the IDF and the Defense Ministry continue to pursue solutions for current shortages in supplies and manpower.

The Intelligence Directorate's Special Operations branch, for example, is working on adapting ventilators and manufacturing thousands of protective masks each day. Other teams are working on developing phone applications for the general public. The Defense Ministry is working with Israel's envoys abroad to locate and procure vital medical equipment. 

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The baby, who was already in serious condition due to being born early, is hospitalized in the NICU at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Authorities suspect that the preemie might have been infected by a hospital staff member, but the possibility of him having contracted the virus from one of his visiting parents has not been ruled out.

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The hospital issued a statement about the case, explaining that "an employee at the medical center who has tested positive for coronavirus, apparently contracted through community spread, worked a few shifts at the hospital, including some in the NICU. After an investigation, it turned out that one of the premature babies in the unit, who was born in serious medical condition at a very low weight, was diagnosed as a carrier. Therefore, to avoid any possible contact, the baby's parents and a number of staff have been quarantined."

Shaare Zedek said it was taking all necessary steps to protect its staff and the patients.

Worldwide, there have been only a handful of cases of babies contracting coronavirus. 

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Kurz said that Austria was concerned because it bordered Italy and seen how Italy's healthcare system had "collapsed."

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Kurz said he "thanked God" for a conversation he had with Netanyahu, in which the latter warned him that he was discounting the effect that coronavirus would have on Europe and urged him to "wake up and do something."

The Austrian leader said that the conversation shook him, but prompted him to make Austria one of the first European countries to take serious action to counter the spread of the virus.

Over 3,000 Austrians have contracted coronavirus and eight have died from the respiratory illness that it causes, COVID-19. The country is under a strict stay-at-home policy, with much of its economy shut down. Still, compared to its southern neighbor, Italy, the situation appears under control and the healthcare system is functioning well.

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One of their main challenges is, that the haredi public is based on community; synagogue, Hassidic celebrations, family meals, Torah study and kollel study. For the ultra-Orthodox, even leisure activities center around family events or friends getting together for cholent on a Thursday evening. Because the battle to contain coronavirus focuses on quarantine and separation, haredim are having a particularly difficult time complying with these dictates.

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By the middle of this week, it looked like the haredi world was starting to accept the new situation. While news broadcasts showed images of dozens of yeshiva students continuing to study in close quarters, against Health Ministry instructions, Rabbi David Yosef (the son of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) called on the students at his yeshiva to study at home. The Hebron Yeshiva moved its benches and Talmud stands out to the courtyard; Yiddish PSA posters were put up in the strictest Hassidic enclaves, where residents don't have the option of getting updates on the radio or TV; and many family celebrations were canceled. Some were moved out of doors and held with 10 people or fewer.

Nevertheless, on Tuesday evening a Hassidic wedding in Beit Shemesh was attended by masses of guests who – according to the footage that made its way to the mainstream media – didn't follow the rules about social distancing. Shortly after the images were made public, the police arrived to break up the wedding. The next day, the Health Ministry issued orders to close down all yeshivas and kollels. The order was a blanket order and not dependent on the number of students in any one institution.

The ultra-Orthodox sector argued that most of its members do not watch television, which is why instructions were slow to be followed. A day after the Beit Shemesh wedding, Chief Rabbi David Lau characterized it as a serious violation that must not be repeated. Incidentally, the same day the wedding took place, a Hassidic man from Bnei Brak was reported to be a confirmed corona case, and the Hassidic sect of which he is a member is worried that they must all go into quarantine because he was present at a Purim reading of the Scroll of Esther.

What posed a conflict for the haredi public and also scored it some negative headlines, were instructions from Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, considered one of the greatest Lithuanian rabbis of this generation. After the press conference in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that all schools would be closed, Kanievsky instructed Torah students, yeshivas, and kollels to hold study as usual. This set off a wave of criticism about the haredi world.

The haredi public tried to explain the instructions and why they were being followed, in the face of outrage about irresponsibility. For example, Moshe Glassner, a resident of Elad and a senior figure in the haredi media, who hosts a show on the haredi radio station Kol Barama as well as a program on the Knesset Channel, said, "Israelis don't understand haredi codes. After an instruction like Rabbi Kanievsky's, they're sure these are reckless people who don't care about health. But they don't understand how the haredi mind works and what compels us to not automatically stop study in yeshivas and Talmud torahs.

"Here we see the total commitment to the commandment to study Torah, which the haredim make an effort to observe even in the face of health warnings," Glassner said.

Q: People aren't afraid their sons will get infected at institutions of Torah study?

"When Rabbi Kanievsky speaks, there is a huge sector that calms down and trusts him. The Lithuanian public might not be involved in mysticism, but when a rabbi as great as Rabbi Kanievsky, a Jew of the utmost holiness whom we see has a direct line to 'up there,' it's something else.

"When someone at that level of Torah knowledge and spirituality says something, people are mum. I remember a lot of people thinking that the order not to close Torah study institutions was reckless, but the moment Rabbi Kanievsky spoke, they were silent. Me too – the moment it was announced to go on studying, I couldn't say too much and I sent my sons to yeshiva. I'm a rational person, even a bit jaded, but when Rabbi Chaim says something, there's no need to worry," he said.

Despite the impression that the haredim are apathetic or even isolationist, Glassner wants to make it clear that haredim feel the same fear as the rest of Israel and, for the most part, fully take part in public life.

"This is a sector that flocks to volunteer with all the rescue and charity organizations; the first to rush in any time help is needed. They see themselves as committed to the health regulations, they take care to maintain distance, disinfect, the shops are closed, and you don't see the haredim at the beach. This is not a sector that is dismissive. But when it comes to Torah study, they think that continuing to study is a way of looking out for the entire Jewish people."

Meanwhile, these times of plague and fear and uncertainty are sending Israelis to seek solace in Jewish mysticism. Rabbi Chaim Foox of the Sgulat Emet Institute, says, "People don't know what's going on, don't know when it will end, don't know what effect it will have and want to adopt every cautionary measure there is, so we are receiving lots of calls asking if we have amulets, talismans or prayers that can contain the disease."

"There is one amulet against an epidemic – a sort of square divided into smaller squares that contain the verse, 'Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.' [Psalm 106:30] Note the word 'intervened,' which is actually prayer. We need to pray, every person needs stronger faith."

According to Foox, more than a few charlatans have been popping up and saying that the epidemic is the result of the Gay Pride march or other things.

"That's not true. Yes, when the Lord brings trouble like this upon the world, he's telling us something, but he is telling us we need to be stronger, not anything specific," Foox says.  

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For example, if up until a few days ago Chabad members in Crown Heights in Brooklyn were still apathetic and acting normally, and the yeshivot in the neighborhood were still operating regularly, in recent days they began taking preventative steps after dozens of people in the neighborhood fell ill and hundred more are suspected of also being infected. In Borough Park, another Jewish neighborhood in New York with tens of thousands of Jewish residents, 100 people have already been diagnosed with the virus and 500 more are awaiting their test results.

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In one appalling video filmed by Zalman Goldstein, a member of Chabad from a neighborhood with some 20,000 other Chabad followers, he painfully describes the catastrophic situation and expresses his fear that a disaster is looming.

"You don't understand what's going on here. It's a destruction. People aren't willing to say they have sick relatives at home and are afraid to admit it, but there are already dozens, maybe hundreds, who are ill. It's not limited to elderly people. The situation is extremely grave. I beg of you, stay at home. How long can you wait? People need to wake up and see that lives are at risk. Stay at home and don't let anyone visit your elderly relatives. Sadly, every passing hour brings new names of people who have been hospitalized. Wake up and stop being indifferent," he beseeched.

The yeshiva in 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic Movement, has already been mostly shuttered. The main hall has been closed until local authorities can disinfect it, and likely won't reopen anytime soon; while the side hall remains open – but only to limited minyans where the worshippers maintain a two-yard distance from one another. At the same time, the neighborhood's religious court on Tuesday released an urgent statement to the public ordering the immediate closure of all synagogues and ritual pools for men, to stop the spread of the virus.

Jews in Great Britain – which initially tried containing the pandemic and then altered course after a dramatic spike in the number of contractions and deaths – are also implementing preventative measures. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the country's former chief rabbi, called for all public prayer services to be canceled.

The virus that causes coronavirus disease, COVID-19, also hasn't spared South America, where some Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a population of around 200,000 Jews, canceled public services and Torah study on Tuesday, after dozens of new coronavirus infections and deaths were reported in the country. Due to the growing number of cases in the general population, people have been instructed to self-quarantine and minimize contact with others.

Synagogues in Iran have been shuttered for several days already, but the number of deaths within the Jewish community continues to rise. In light of the situation, the Chief Rabbi of Tehran, Rabbi Yehudah Grami, presided over a mass prayer service transmitted online via Skype on Wednesday night in the hopes of helping stem the tide of the virus that is threatening the world.

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