Senior staff at Hong Kong’s de facto central bank have been delivering wine and gourmet food to bankers isolating in the city’s hotels, in an attempt to appease those furious at being caught up in one of the world’s strictest quarantine regimes.

A spokesperson from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority told the Financial Times on Tuesday that senior officials had “from their own pockets?.?.?.?sent confectioneries to a handful of executives under quarantine as a token of personal regard”.

The Chinese territory has stuck to a “zero-Covid” approach with tough quarantine rules imposed on arrivals — most are required to undergo 21 days of mandatory hotel quarantine — triggering frustration from many business groups and bankers. With international firms threatening to pull out of Hong Kong, analysts have warned that the city was risking its status as Asia’s premier financial hub with its extreme pandemic control policies.