As of today, there are signs that the novel coronavirus infection rate on the mainland may be fi nally declining. Although it may pick up again, I am positive that the united eff ort to fi ght the virus is paying off . Recovery cases at 7 am on Sunday had risen by 544 over the day before. This is more than 6.6 times the increase in fatalities, which stood at 82.
A big question is whether this epidemic will vanish by summer. In Hong Kong, disruptions to classes, business, work, and social activities have been unprecedented. Unfortunately, the social and economic costs have been amplifi ed because Hong Kong people’s solidarity today is nothing compared to what it was in 2003, when we fought against SARS. At that time, people from all walks of life contributed their utmost to fight the disease. Today, our community is divided, and our society is also in a panic mode, as witnessed by the panic buying from supermarkets. This does not help.
Unfortunately, the social and economic costs have been amplified because Hong Kong people’s solidarity today is nothing compared to what it was in 2003, when we fought against SARS. At that time, people from all walks of life contributed their utmost to fight the disease. Today, our community is divided, and our society is also in a panic mode
What is most frustrating is that some Hospital Authority employees, including doctors and nurses, led by the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, went on strike, purportedly to “save Hong Kong” by forcing the SAR government to close down all entry points to anyone coming from the mainland. I was relieved that on Friday, the motion to extend the five-day strike was voted down.
The government’s strategy has been to combine minimizing crossborder traffic with quarantining anyone coming from the mainland, whether one is a mainlander, a Hong Kong resident, or a foreigner. We have to face the fact that the bulk of people crossing the border from the mainland are Hong Kong residents, and they have the right of movement under the Basic Law. Beginning Saturday, everyone coming into Hong Kong has been quarantined. But there are not enough quarantine facilities to accommodate the huge number of people who need to be quarantined. In a recent case, three individuals who had close contact with a couple who live in Villa Esplanada in Tsing Yi needed to be quarantined. But because the existing quarantine facilities were already full, they had to be quarantined at home.
In general, quarantine at a facility dedicated and appropriately equipped for the purpose is preferred to quarantine at home because the risks can be much better controlled. Unfortunately, our society seems not ready to work together to fi ght the epidemic. On Jan 26, some protesters, believed to be local residents, launched a Molotov cocktail at a vacant building in Fai Ming Estate, picked to serve as a quarantine facility for people exposed to the coronavirus. A fortnight ago, local residents, led by district council members, protested the designation of the Heritage Lodge near Mei Foo Sun Chuen as a temporary quarantine center. Still another incident is the uproar over the designation of the newly completed Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan as a quarantine center. Several district councilors in Sha Tin held an emergency meeting to discuss the latest government decision, and we hope that they will help explain to local residents, particularly those about to move in as residents, that the use of the buildings as a quarantine center is only temporary, and that the buildings will certainly be thoroughly sterilized before handing them over to would-be residents.
Quite apart from quarantine centers, to better contain the spread of the epidemic, people suspected of having contracted the novel coronavirus should visit clinics specially designated for the purpose, rather than going to public hospitals. If they visit public hospitals, other patients in the waiting room will face the risk of being exposed to the virus. Regrettably, local residents again do not want any such clinics to be near their homes. This NIMBY (not in my backyard) mentality is understandable. But I do hope that instead of protesting against setting up such clinics near their homes, local residents, and particularly district council members, will work with the government to ensure that all appropriate precautionary measures are taken. For example, patients visiting the clinic must wear appropriate masks and wear them properly. The clinics must also be designed so that air coming out of the facility has been properly fi ltered or that indoor atmospheric pressure must be lower than it is outside so that no release of the virus from the facility is possible. Getting back to the demand by the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance to close our border completely, I agree with the government that we need to recognize Hong Kong residents’ right to freedom of travel, and that it is better to mandate quarantine for anyone coming from the mainland than to close down all entry points. Some people may ask why this mandate was not imposed immediately without notice. Admittedly, allowing a window of time for people to arrange their aff airs will increase risks, but will also make lives less diffi cult for many. I hope visitors as well as returnees from the mainland who entered Hong Kong during the “window” will voluntarily stay home as much as possible, and that they will always wear a mask if they really need to leave their homes and avoid mingling with others.
The author is a senior research fellow at the Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University.
The views do not necessarily refl ect those of China Daily.
