On this topic I can understand the confusion and the comms hasn't been amazing, however the sense of entitlement is a little galling.
- The cards are free and cost you nothing
- You might get something in the future - for free
- No other brand does anything in this space so you haven't been duped into buying NG because of the potential of this program
- China has been enforcing insanely strict anti-COVID measures whereby entire cities are locked down fully for a couple of cases
If I were you I'd be adding the cards to the NG database just in case when and if this does become something you are in a position to benefit from it. You never know they might enforce a 'when the card was entered' gets you better rewards policy - ha ha.
For their part NG have said they plan to still launch something in this space but obviously those plans have been delayed. Such is life.