Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said before the regular Executive Council meeting on Tuesday morning that most of the government employees currently working from home will return to their workplaces on Monday, so public services will hopefully be back to normal soon. The decision to resume normal operations of the SAR government came after the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and Monday. However, the CHP announced two new COVID-19 cases on Saturday following a day without new cases on Thursday. The fact that civil services are going to resume next week is good news for Hong Kong. It suggests the epidemic has been, to some extent, brought under control in the SAR. The government’s decision is essentially a response to advice by experts. 

But Hong Kong residents should remain vigilant against COIVD-19 infections. Imported cases are still a real threat to the health and lives of local people. We have reason to believe the war on the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, even though the situation appears to be easing here. 

Many local governments on the mainland started relaxing quarantine restrictions last week. But they have not let their guard down. For example, social distancing is still being exercised at reopened indoor venues and on public transport in major cities, such as neighboring Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as Shanghai and Beijing. Some people have cited rising temperatures as a reason why instances of novel coronavirus infections are now falling in some countries, particularly in China.

But there is no solid scientific proof supporting the theory or enough statistical data to back this up. This means we must not make any assumptions while considering steps to gradually reopen consumer services and other sectors. According to infectious-disease experts around the world, the likelihood of a new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks is still high. It may last through the summer. No one should ignore the fact that the pandemic has spread to the Southern Hemisphere and caused public-health crises in Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America, where the weather is still warmer than it is in the Northern Hemisphere.

The best way to avoid another round of shutdowns, therefore, is to continue observing social-distancing rules and all basic personal protection measures we have already been taking. This includes the wearing of surgical masks when leaving home, and even goggles or a face cover to protect your eyes when going to a pharmacy, clinic or hospital. People should wash their hands according to expert advice and use hand sanitizers immediately after touching any hard surface in public spaces such as doors, handrails and benches. It will also be wise to wear a pair of watertight rubber gloves when riding subway trains, trams, buses of all sizes, and taxis. It’s still too early to relax personal protection.