The Club’s operations return to normal, but mask-wearing still applies!

Dear Members,

I am thrilled to bring you some good news and good cheer for the New Year.

From December 29, the Government has eased all the social distancing measures, with the exception of mask wearing.

This means there will be no longer any Vaccine Pass and RAT test requirements to enter the Club. The 12 person per table rule, and the requirement to keep 1.5m distance between tables, have been scrapped. Starting now, we can return to full seating in all our outlets.

There is one “BUT.” Masks must still be worn inside the Club, except when members and guests are at the dining tables. Masks must also be worn when entering the Club. Please remember to respect this one remaining Government regulation.

All our club facilities can now resume as normal. The sauna and steam room in Health Club will be reopen starting from today. Pre-registration is recommended with the gym attendant at 2844 2849.

Once again, I want to thank all the Members for your ongoing patience in the past 3 years. Your understanding and support has been crucial during these challenging times.

I also want to thank our loyal staff, who have had the tough job of implementing these constantly changing Government rules. When you are next at the Club, please take a moment and say thank you to the staff members, especially those you see at the entry and the reception desk who have been at the front lines of explaining and implementing these often-confusing rules, and assisting members with questions or problems. It has been a thankless and challenging job for them, and they would appreciate hearing a “thanks” from each of you. They deserve our praise for their tireless efforts over these last three years.

I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you at the Club in 2023 and the coming Year of the Rabbit.

Now let’s party!

Keith Richburg President 30 December 2022

Further relaxation of social distancing measures

Dear Members,

The Government has announced that with effect from today, 22 December 2022, members and their guests are no longer required to take a RAT test before attending a private function or club event. However the Vaccine Pass with a blue code is still required and must be scanned or presented when you enter the Club. Our staff will be actively checking the Vaccine Passes at the entrance, so kindly also remind your guests.

Also please be reminded that mask wearing is still required inside the Club, except when members and guests are at the dining tables. That also means masks must be worn when entering the Club.

Once again, I want to thank all Members for your ongoing patience as we continue to adjust to these new measures. Your understanding and support has been crucial during these often challenging last months and years.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year!

Keith Richburg President 22 December 2022

LeaveHomeSafe App is now lifted, however Vaccine Pass still applies

Dear Members,

The Government has announced that with effect from today, 14 December 2022, members and their guests are no longer required to scan the LeaveHomeSafe app before entering the Club. However the Vaccine Pass with a blue code is still required to present to our staff.

We can show your Vaccine Pass QR code through:      • The LeaveHomeSafe app      • The iAM Smart app      • The e-Health app      • A paper copy/ screenshots in mobile phone of your vaccination record

In case you or your guest is returning to HK and holding an overseas COVID 19 vaccination, please visit here to obtain the QR code for use in fulfilling the relevant requirements under the local “Vaccine Pass”. Other Club restrictions will remain in place. Feel free to visit here for more information. Once again, I want to thank all Members for your continued patience, understanding and your support.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Keith Richburg President 14 December 2022

FCC given new 3-year lease

Dear Members,

I am very pleased to inform you that the FCC has secured an extension to the lease on our Clubhouse for a further three years from 2 January 2023 until 1 January 2026.

We have received an offer from our landlord, the Government Property Agency, which is subject to contract, and the Board has confirmed our acceptance of this offer. This means we can continue in our home and provide security of employment to our loyal staff. We expect to sign the new lease in the coming days.

The lease contains other provisions that are now standard in all government leases, including allowing the Government to terminate the lease at any time with 3 months notice, or immediately if in the interest of national security.

With our immediate future now secure, we can continue to be the world’s best press club and we look forward to welcoming all members to continue enjoying our unrivalled ambience and hospitality. The past few years have been extremely challenging for the Club, and I want to thank all of you for your support and patronage. I also would like to thank all the Members of the Board of Governors who worked tirelessly with me to help achieve this positive outcome, with a special thanks to our Treasurer, Tim Huxley.

With our future settled, we also now need to ensure that our financial position is strengthened. We will therefore be making some amendments to our fees. From January 1st 2023, monthly subscriptions for all categories of membership will rise by HK$ 100 per month to HK$ 1200. This will be the first increase in monthly subscriptions in seven years and the FCC remains one of the best value Clubs in Hong Kong.

In addition, from Lunar New Year’s Eve 2023 (21 January), joining fees for Associate Members will rise to HK$ 45,000 while for new Correspondent and Journalist members, the joining fee will rise by a similar percentage to HK$ 3,850. Our discounted scheme for early career journalists will remain unchanged. All membership applications received before that date will be eligible for the current joining fees, regardless of when membership is approved.

These changes are necessary to help us to begin to restore the financial health of the Club after the uncertainties of the past few years. In addition, the Board will be considering other proposals, such as the introduction of a spouse fee and possible amendments to the Silver Membership category. However these changes would require an amendment to the Articles and hence need further discussion and consultation with the members.

I am happy to answer any questions you have. And I look forward to seeing you around the bar.

Yours faithfully,

Keith Richburg President

30 November 2022

The Club’s opening hour is back to normal from next Monday Nov 7!

Dear Members,

I would like to update you that the Government has further relaxed some social distancing measures effective from next Monday, November 7. The latest club policies will be updated as follows;

• The opening hours of all restaurants and bars will be back to normal (as per the chart below). Last orders for food will be at 10:50 p.m., while last orders for drinks will be 30 minutes before the Club’s closure.   Venue Monday – Saturday Sundays Public Holidays Bert’s Mon–Thu/Sat: 12:00–24:00 Fri: 12:00–01:00 closed closed Main Bar & Lounge Mon–Wed: 07:30–24:00 Thu–Sat: 07:30–02:00 10:00–24:00 Sun–Wed: 10:00–24:00 Thu–Sat: 10:00–02:00 Dining Room, Verandah & Chinese Restaurant Luncheon: 12:00–14:30 Dinner: 18:30–24:00 12:00–21:00 (Dining Room) Luncheon: 12:00–14:30 Dinner: 18:30–24:00 • Maximum number per table at 12 people is allowed; however, subject to outlets’ booking policy, pre-order is highly recommended for big groups. • Negative RAT test/ PCR test result is still required before entering the Club for participating in a banquet/ event. • Private functions and meetings with no more than 240 persons are allowed, subject to outlets’ maximum capacity. Please contact our team at [email protected] for more details. • Music performances at Bert’s are now back. More live events will be coming soon. • The health club remains open, although the sauna and steam room remain closed. No more than 6 people are allowed in the health club at one time. Pre-registration is required with the gym attendant at 2844 2849. • All persons must wear a face mask at all times within Club premises, except when eating or drinking at the table. • Staff continue to complete a COVID-19 rapid test every 3 days.

Children aged 5 to 11 are required to comply with the specified vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass when entering any applicable premises of the Vaccine Pass. Children ages 5 to 11 must have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, or within three months after receiving the first dose of vaccine. As for persons aged 12 or above, the grace period for receiving the third dose after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been shortened from six months to five months under the Vaccine Pass. Since the Club is subject to active checking of the Vaccine Pass, those who do not follow these measures will not be admitted. Click here to see more details on dosage schedule of Vaccines Pass.

Thanks for your continued understanding and support. I look forward to seeing you all at the Club!

Keith Richburg

President

3 November 2022

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Awards Clare Hollingworth Fellowships

FELLOWS

Teele Rebane

Teele Rebane is an award-winning podcast producer and host who currently works as a news desk researcher and producer at CNN. She is a graduate of the University of Hong Kong’s journalism program.

Simran Vaswani

Simran Vaswani is a reporter at DealStreetAsia who previously interned at Bloomberg, Forbes and CNN. She recently graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University’s international journalism program.

Hayley Wong

Hayley Wong is a recent graduate from the journalism school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She was previously an intern at Bloomberg News, where she covered politics across the region, and a reporter at Stand News.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is pleased to announce that it has chosen Teele Rebane, Simran Vaswani and Hayley Wong as recipients of the fourth annual Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, named in honor of the preeminent and path-breaking journalist.

The panel of judges noted the winners offer clear potential as future leaders both within the FCC and the wider Hong Kong journalism community.

The Fellowship is focused on early-career journalists and current journalism school students in Hong Kong.

The open competition drew significant interest from a cross spectrum of applicants. The adjudicators noted the high standard of applicants and encouraged all to apply again next year.

For further information on the Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, please visit https://www.fcchk.org/fcc-clare-hollingworth-fellowship-applications-open/

A Message from the President

Dear Members,

I wanted to give you an update about the topic I know is on everyone’s mind — the status of the lease of our Clubhouse.

Our current lease, which is administered by Hong Kong’s Government Property Agency, expires on 1 January 2023, which means we are less than 70 days from the end of the lease. We first engaged the Hong Kong government in December 2021, to express our interest in a renewal, giving one year’s notice of our desire to stay. Our request was formally acknowledged then.

Much has happened over the last year, including the awful Covid fifth wave, and the change of administration on July 1. But at every opportunity, in my position as President, and on behalf of the Board, I have reiterated our request for a lease renewal to various relevant departments of the Government. In all of my communications, I have mentioned the urgency of the matter, so as to end the uncertainty, provide some security to our members and our staff, and to allow us to conduct needed maintenance work on our Clubhouse, a Grade 1 historic building, of which we are the proud custodians.

I have received recent assurances from the Government that they are aware of our concerns, and that the Government is actively working on our request for a renewal. I remain in constant contact, but at this point, we just have to wait for the official response.

I know the lack of a firm response so far has left many of you anxious and with many questions, but I remain very optimistic. While it may be frustrating to not have clarity immediately, given the tight timeframe, this process actually does not seem unusual; the current lease was signed on 29 December 2015, after the process started in August. Previous leases were also signed in December.

Please rest assured that I and all members of the Board have made this our top priority. We will keep you updated the moment anything changes.

In the meantime, as you can see from our events listing, we are going full steam ahead with planning, including a return to live music after a long wait. And I want to thank you for your continued support of the Club.

Keith Richburg

President

24 October 2022

Further Relaxation of Social Distancing Measures

Dear Members,

I would like to update you that the Government has further relaxed some social distancing measures effective from October 6. The latest club policies will be updated as follows;

• All restaurants will be open until 11:59 p.m. every day. Last orders for food will be at 10:50 p.m., while last orders for drinks will be at 11:30 p.m. • Maximum number per table is extended to 12 people from 8, and each member can bring 3 guests. . • Negative RAT test/ PCR test result is required before entering the Club for participating in a banquet/ event. • Private functions and meetings can now accommodate up to 240 persons. Please contact our team at [email protected] to discuss. • Music performances at Bert’s are unfortunately still not allowed at this time. • The health club remains open, although the sauna and steam room remain closed. No more than 6 people are allowed in the health club at one time. Pre-registration is required with the gym attendant at 2844 2849. • All persons must wear a face mask at all times within Club premises, except when eating or drinking at the table. • Staff continue to complete a COVID-19 rapid test every 3 days.

Children aged 5 to 11 are required to comply with the specified vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass when entering any applicable premises of the Vaccine Pass. Children ages 5 to 11 must have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, or within three months after receiving the first dose of vaccine. As for persons aged 12 or above, the grace period for receiving the third dose after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been shortened from six months to five months under the Vaccine Pass. Since the Club is subject to active checking of the Vaccine Pass, those who do not follow these measures will not be admitted. Click here to see more details on dosage schedule of Vaccines Pass.

Thanks for your continued understanding and support. I look forward to seeing you all at the Club!

Keith Richburg

President

6 October 2022

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FCC Influenza Vaccination 2022

Dear Members, All FCC staff will participate in an influenza immunization programme in October 2022. The vaccination will be administered by a registered doctor from a reputable clinic in Central. There will be 50 doses available for FCC members on specific dates at a discount price HK$220. Anyone who is interested please complete the reply slip and reserve with the FCC concierge at (tel) 2521 1511, (fax) 2868 4092 or (email) [email protected] on or before Friday, October 7, 2022. Remarks: Before entering the clinic, you must produce negative RAT photo with name, date and time, conducted within the proceeding 24 hours per the request from the clinic. The influenza vaccine is only available for the child above 6 months. Any person who is hypersensitive to egg protein, suffer from acute severe febrile illness or previous severe allergic reaction to flu vaccine etc. is not suitable to take the influenza vaccine. Most people achieve protection from influenza vaccine approximately 2-3 weeks after receiving the immunization, so travelers should allow adequate time for vaccination before departure. It is recommended to consult your personal doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking the vaccine. Confirmation will be sent to you once your booking is accepted. If you do not receive a confirmation within two working days, please contact our Concierge. The amount shown below will charge to your FCC membership account in October 2022. Booking period: October 10–15, 2022 (Weekdays, 10am-12nn; 2:30pm-5pm / Saturday, 10am-12nn / Sunday & Public holiday will be closed)

Click here to download the form

 

Updated Vaccine Pass arrangement for children aged 5 to 11

Dear Members,

I would like to update you that the Government has announced new regulations to (i) lower the applicable age of the Vaccine Pass arrangements to cover children aged 5 to 11; (ii) adjust the vaccination requirements applicable to persons aged 12 and above. The updated arrangement is as follows:

Children aged 5 to 11

• Starting from September 30, children aged 5 to 11 are required to have received at least the first vaccine dose within three months. If they received their first dose three months ago or earlier, they are required to receive the second dose. • Starting from November 30, the vaccination requirement for all children aged 5 to 11 under the Vaccine Pass will be to have received the second dose.

Implementation of Vaccine Pass

• Considering that children may not possess a smart mobile phone for displaying their Vaccine Pass QR code, children or their family members may bring along and present a paper record printed with the QR code or present a photo of the QR code saved in a mobile phone. • Parents may also add their children as “My Family Member” in the eHealth mobile application so that they can retrieve and present their own Vaccine Pass as well as that of their children at the same time. Feel free to visit the relevant webpage to learn more. • A new function will be added to the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile application soon to allow parents to save their own Vaccine Pass and that of their children

Persons aged 12 or above

• Starting from November 30, persons aged 12 or above are required to have received the third vaccine dose.

Since the Club is subject to active checking of the Vaccine Pass, those who do not follow these measures will not be admitted. Click here to see more details on dosage schedule of Vaccines Pass.

Thank you for your continued support of the Club. Please take care, stay safe and healthy.

Keith Richburg President

23 September 2022