Pro-establishment lawmakers urged the government on Friday to announce resolute pandemic-control measures — such as mandatory comprehensive virus testing — in the upcoming Policy Address, as the city reported at least 66 confirmed and preliminary infections.
Specifically calling for population-wide virus testing, they raised the topic in their Friday-afternoon discussion with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor about this year’s address, which will be delivered on Wednesday.
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“We hope to see more determined and bold pandemic-control measures in the address, which is the only way to revive the economy,” Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, told reporters after the meeting.
We hope to see more determined and bold pandemic-control measures in the address, which is the only way to revive the economy
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
Martin Liao Cheung-kong, convener of the pro-establishment lawmakers, urged authorities to seriously review current measures and take new initiatives to control the pandemic, given the resurgence of untraceable local cases.
The suggested initiatives include citywide mandatory testing to identify community transmission chains, Liao said.
He cited medical experts who say that if the current situation were to continue, there would be no hope to end the pandemic within a year, and that would be “fatal” to the city’s economy.
With 26 new infections, including 21 local transmissions, Hong Kong recorded its highest daily increase in confirmed cases in nearly three months, bringing the city’s total to 5,517 as of Friday.
Of the new local infections, nine were untraceable and others belonged to various clusters across the city. One of the infected people had attended a party at which about 100 people gathered and danced.
At a news conference, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said Hong Kong’s pandemic situation is seeing a “rapid deterioration” and warned about a sweeping fourth wave of local infections.
Given that development, the government announced it will suspend face-to-face classes for Primary One to Primary Three students for two weeks effective Monday. It also extended for two weeks the suspension of kindergarten classes, which was ordered earlier this month after a series of upper respiratory infections.
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Mandatory testing will be conducted among three groups — those who have symptoms of COVID-19, workers of elderly homes, and taxi drivers, Chan said. She added that the government will talk with doctor groups on Friday night on issuing a mandatory testing order to people who they think need to receive tests.
In the meeting with Lam, the lawmakers also proposed the government offer more support in the Policy Address to individuals severely affected by the pandemic.
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate in August to October remained unchanged at 6.4 percent, the highest in 15 years.
