Lai Tung-kwok, former secretary for security, talks to China Daily on Thursday. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
Former security chief Lai Tung-kwok has thrown his weight behind the SAR government’s move imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all people entering Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland as part of its stepped up measures to combat the novel coronavirus.
He described the latest measure as “thorough and effective” in curbing the spread of the disease.
The quarantine rule, effective from Saturday (today), is aimed at further reducing the flow of people in a city that had reported 26 infections as of Friday. All but three of Hong Kong’s 14 cross-border checkpoints have been closed indefinitely.
The mandatory quarantine requirement is more reasonable and workable than the opposition camp’s demand to shut down all the cross-border checkpoints because the flow of cargo, including food and daily necessities for Hong Kong people, cannot be stopped
Lai Tung-kwok,
former security chief
“The two-week mandatory quarantine period is more thorough than restricting people arriving from Hubei province or Wuhan city, the epicenter of the outbreak,” said Lai, a former director of immigration and secretary for security of the HKSAR government.
“The earlier the quarantine is enforced, the more effective it would be. It’s not introduced in a very timely manner, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he told China Daily in an exclusive interview.
“The mandatory quarantine requirement is more reasonable and workable than the opposition camp’s demand to shut down all the cross-border checkpoints because the flow of cargo, including food and daily necessities for Hong Kong people, cannot be stopped.
“The opposition camp’s concept is unclear. At first, they wanted all the checkpoints closed, but later, they said the shutdown should apply only to visitors, and then demanded that mainland people be barred from entering Hong Kong,” said Lai.
Whatever step the SAR government takes, it must be viable in line with the latest virus situation, he said, pointing out that the 14-day mandatory quarantine is a science-based approach, backed by prominent microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong, aimed at drastically reducing the number of people commuting between Hong Kong and the mainland.
Lai also agreed that two weeks is an appropriate period because, according to health experts, the incubation period of the infective disease is between three and 14 days.
Some people have cast doubts on enforcing the mandatory quarantine three days after its was announced on Feb 5, fearing that many people would scramble into Hong Kong from the mainland during the three days preceding its implementation. But, Lee said he wasn’t worried this would happen.
“I don’t think many mainland people would rush into Hong Kong during those few days. Normally, their visas would only allow them a maximum stay of seven days. Save for very urgent reasons, they will not come to Hong Kong those few days, or else they would risk being quarantined for two weeks,” he explained.
On criticism that the latest quarantine measure was not enforced upon announcement, Lai said: “For such a stringent measure that involves immense cross-boundary passenger flow right after the Lunar New Year holiday, it’s reasonable to allow two days for travelers to decide and make prior arrangements — either to stay on the mainland or rush back to Hong Kong before Feb 8.”
