Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the press at Central Government Offices on Oct 12, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - The generally stable epidemic situation in Hong Kong allowed the city to take more precise control measures and resume more economic and social activities gradually while keeping the epidemic in check, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Sunday.

In an article published on the government website, Lam said a total of 233 infections were recorded from Sept 25 to Oct 24, with over 60 percent being imported cases. 

“We were extremely concerned about a rebound of the epidemic situation and responded with targeted measures,” Lam said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor noted that, from October 11 to October 24, there were still local cases of unknown sources , indicating that the transmission chains have yet to be cut off in the community

Lam noted that, from Oct 11 to Oct 24, there were still local cases of unknown sources , indicating that the transmission chains have yet to be cut off in the community.

“One local case of unknown source is one case too many,” Lam said. “Moreover, as the virus may be more active in autumn and winter, the whole community has to remain vigilant.”

Hong Kong on Sunday reported six new confirmed COVID-19 cases, including five imported infections and one local case of unknown origin.

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To prevent a rapid rebound of the epidemic situation as seen in some countries in Western Europe, Lam said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has been more cautious in relaxing social distancing measures compared to May and June after the second wave of the epidemic. 

“We cannot let our guard down, especially after many people went out and gathered during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival long holidays and the increase in cases we have seen in early October,” she said.

“Therefore, we have not relaxed social distancing measures by a large extent over the past month, but instead adopted a more precise approach to respond to the situation with a view to minimizing the impact on society while making efforts to combat the epidemic,” she added.

While it is difficult to completely eliminate the risk of virus transmission before the advent and widespread application of effective vaccines, Lam said the HKSAR government will “continue to do all it can to get prepared for the fight against the virus.”

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She said these efforts included  further enhancing the virus testing capacity and trying to lower the testing fees under the government’s lead and through market forces and providing free testing services for targeted groups, including people working in high-risk and high-exposure sectors and staff of critical infrastructure or services. 

The HKSAR government would also be completing the construction of Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre to provide an additional 2,000 quarantine units, bringing the total number of quarantine units provided by all quarantine centers to over 4,000, Lam said.

It would also be cooperating with the project team commissioned by the central government to complete the construction of a temporary hospital which will provide negative pressure wards that can accommodate 800 beds, she added.

Lam said the ongoing epidemic, which has lasted for nine months, has caused a global economic downturn and many industries in Hong Kong have been hard hit. 

To strive for recovery, Lam said relevant trades and organizations have been working hard to comply with the government’s anti-epidemic measures.

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To prepare for the return of tourists, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency have jointly launched a standardized hygiene protocol to help tourists better understand the measures in place across tourism-related industries, Lam said.

At present, more than 1,800 companies and shops have expressed interest in adopting the protocol;

With the relaxation of the number of people allowed in local group tours to 30, the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong will assume a monitoring role to ensure that travel agents implement the relevant measures, Lam said.

She added that the council will also arrange a free virus test for tour guides and escorts while the  bar industry has voluntarily implemented a number of epidemic control measures since resuming businesses.

Lam also said that the government will spare no effort to help businesses continue to operate and provide services during the epidemic. 

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Launched in May, the Distance Business Programme has approved more than 17,000 applications involving subsidies of some HK$970 million.