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SINGAPORE – The Thai Tais and their young male instructors move, maskless and together, their dance club is a delightful pastime from a world ravaged by a pandemic.
No one suspected that some of them had caught, and were spreading, the deadly Covid-19. Now, Hong Kong is paying for that lapse.
The city’s dance studios, known as playgrounds for their “tai tais” or ladies of leisure, are in the limelight after they were blamed for what CEO Carrie Lam called an “ultra-large group. “of Covid-19 infections that caused the fourth wave of coronavirus in the territory.
More than 600 cases have been linked to the group so far, accounting for nearly 10 percent of all infections.
Videos from these dance studios that circulated widely online show dozens of middle-aged women, decked out in glittery dresses or ruffled skirts, neatly combed hair and glittering earrings under the errant lights, keeping in tune with their male counterparts. Visibly younger in tight shirts and tight vests. .
Many of these men are paid handsomely for their lessons and company, and some are even illegally transported to Hong Kong from mainland China, according to local media.
Some of the instructors, covering salsa, ballroom dancing, tango and other classical forms of dance, teach classes in multiple studios, with premises specifically rented to host such gatherings, facilitating the spread of the disease.
Several members of Hong Kong’s high society have tested positive for Covid-19 as the latest wave sheds light on their exclusive social circles. Billionaire Rossana Wang Gaw, 75, who chairs the publicly traded property development firm Pioneer Global Group, fell ill after visiting Starlight Dance Club in the upscale Wan Chai district last month.
Other household names linked to the group include former actress Tse Ling Ling, 64, former wife of Lai Sun Development president Peter Lam Kin-ngok; as well as Mr. David Chiu Tat Cheong, 66, owner of Hong Kong Cable Television and president of the real estate conglomerate Far East Consortium, and his wife Nancy Chiu Ng Wai Ping, 64 years old.
Ms. Tse has clarified that she was not part of the dance group, but that she came into contact with an infected friend during a mahjong session. Mr. Chiu and his wife told the media that they were diagnosed after a private dinner at a friend’s house that included someone infected in the group.
Local newspapers have picked up on the news that the coronavirus is wreaking havoc among the city’s rich and famous, with some skipping an opportunity to be lewd, noting in particular the large age gap between the women and their instructors. , until now. even to suggest a lack of correctness between them.
The South China Morning Post quoted a dance enthusiast, identified only as Ip, 63, as saying: “When they dance with the teacher, the dancers are treated like a princess on stage.”
She also claimed that some of her friends had hired speedboat services to transport dance teachers from Shenzhen to Hong Kong despite the closing of the border between the two cities.
Critics say the tai-tai dance group uncovers an uncomfortable truth: Many of Hong Kong’s wealthy people care little for the lives and well-being of their less well-off compatriots.
“If they had any decency, they would have maintained social distancing. Or at least they would have put on masks,” said administrative assistant Elaine Lai, in her 30s, who lives with her husband and two-year-old son just steps from the Club. of Wan Chai dance. “We cannot afford to get sick. If we stop working, the food will also stop arriving and the owner will kick us out.”
But there were others who were more forgiving.
“People can be inconsiderate, whether rich or poor. In the case of Tai Tai, they should have kept their masks or postponed their dance activities,” said Sandra Wong, director of corporate communications in her 40s. “But I also think that the owners of the premises should be penalized, since they should not have allowed such large gatherings or let people go without a mask in their facilities.”
However, most couldn’t help but notice that the facilities were allowed to remain open for the elite to party, despite rules requiring social distancing and the wearing of masks elsewhere. Many livelihoods and the economy will be the hardest hit by that decision.
As a result of the further increase in cases, nightlife venues, mahjong salons, and theme parks have been forced to close once again, restaurant dining hours and capacity have again been limited, and gatherings public have now been reduced to just two.
What would have been the world’s first non-quarantine travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore, an attempt to normalize air travel, came to a halt due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in the territory.
Much of the blame may lie with the government and not anyone else, suggested dance sports athlete Sam Ng in a column posted on the local news site Stand News.
“Perhaps the failure to contain the coronavirus should not be attributed to the behavior of the Hong Kong people, but rather to the government policy riddled with loopholes,” he said.
“Dancing is not a sin … So what if the age difference between dance partners is huge? The older woman who wants to dance may be a widow and cannot find a partner. What’s wrong with hiring a much younger instructor … Should she really go to the trouble of finding an ‘appropriate’ 80-year-old dance teacher for her? “
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