Having the full-scale support of the central government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is gearing up all its resources for a final showdown with the fifth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. While all the facilities to be used for fighting the pandemic are being built with amazing speed, Hong Kong residents of all levels have to remain calm and unified if we want to win the battle.

I am referring to the recent herd behavior of panic buying of food and daily necessities, driven by local residents’ excessive stress and anxiety about the pandemic. The slow response, poor execution and confused information disseminated by the SAR government in handling the pandemic in recent months are, of course, some of the reasons to blame.

However, at this critical moment, what Hong Kong people need most are composure, patience and solidarity to overcome the present crisis. We cannot afford the snowballing of such panic-buying behavior that would not only demoralize our fighting spirit but also increase the chance of cross-transmission. Can you imagine how high the risk is for someone to get infected when hundreds of shoppers flock to the supermarkets to empty the goods shelves?

There is plenty of time and goods available for Hong Kong people to shop rationally and considerably. Let’s work together in solidarity to fight the battle against the omicron variant and have it kicked out of Hong Kong

The panic purchases were triggered by an earlier recorded voice message in social media claiming that the city’s Legislative Council was considering a large-scale lockdown of Hong Kong during mandatory universal testing. The rumor spread like wildfire, causing panic stockpiling of fresh and frozen food, medicine, and baby food, as well as other necessities.

To make the matter even worse, more and more local cross-boundary truck drivers as well as butchers got infected, affecting the pace of transporting and handling of food and daily necessities, which in turn added fuel to the rumor.

This is ridiculously a repetition of the panic buying two years ago when upset shoppers scrambled for toilet paper, rice, meat, vegetables and other daily necessities. It happened when the outbreak of COVID-19 attacked Hong Kong for the first time and we had no experience in dealing with this pandemic before. Moreover, it was also the peak period of the anti-extradition protests, when the lawless elements were very active in spreading rumors to disrupt the law and order for their political gains.

We should have learned a lesson from that painful experience and understood that internal unity, composure and patience are keys for overcoming crises. It is true that at the very beginning of the fifth wave, the HKSAR government lacked crisis management awareness and handled the crisis improperly until it got out of control, leaving the SAR with no choice but to request help from the central government.

With the central government’s stepping in to help, the situation is reverting. There is absolutely no need to worry about the stable supply of food and daily necessities, as the mainland experts have been working closely with their Hong Kong counterparts to prepare for the implementation of mandatory universal testing later this month and maintain the stable supply of food and daily necessities for Hong Kong.

It’s about time we pick up the long-lost virtues of composure, patience, benevolence and solidarity, which are known as the “Lion Rock Spirit” that has helped us to develop the tiny fishing port into an international financial center.

Regarding the support of the central government in this aspect, the Guangdong provincial and Shenzhen muncipal authorities have raised their capacities to send more food and other goods to Hong Kong via land, sea and rail. Guangdong has opened six special water routes to Hong Kong. Since last month, Shenzhen has opened three dedicated water express routes from the Mawan Bay, Dachan Bay and Yantian ports to transport daily supplies to Hong Kong.

To enhance fast delivery of goods to Hong Kong, customs departments at major exit and entry ports in Guangdong have opened 24-hour services to ensure all-day customs clearance for food and goods sent to Hong Kong.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong freight train service has also resumed after being suspended for 15 years. Opened in 1962, the route was originally established to ensure the timely delivery of fresh food supplies, including pigs, cattle and sheep, to Hong Kong. However, the rapid development of highways made the rail transportation obsolete and replaced by trucks, and it ceased to operate in 2007.

In its first train to Hong Kong on Thursday, it carried nearly 1.11 million rapid antigen test kits, 20,000 protective suits, and other medical supplies, totaling 50.1 metric tons. The freight train’s daily frequency will be increased gradually from one to a maximum of eight in the near future.

On the other hand, a team of 38 skilled butchers from the mainland has arrived in Hong Kong to work in the Sheung Shui slaughterhouse for two months. It is a temporary measure to supplement the COVID-19-infected workforce at the slaughterhouse to ensure a stable supply of fresh meat.

To minimize the detrimental effect of rumors on the food supply, the SAR government has adopted a new measure, publicizing information about the supply amount and relevant prices of fresh food on a daily basis for public view. Residents should remain vigilant and pay attention to official information to avoid being misled by rumors.

Undoubtedly, since the implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the city has restored its law and order in substance. However, anti-Chinese elements always look for opportunities to spread rumors to disrupt Hong Kong. This is something we have to keep a watchful eye out for, especially when the city is in a crisis like the current one.

The SAR government is still discussing details of the expected mandatory universal testing with medical experts from the mainland, but officials have already disclosed that there will be time given for residents to go shopping, see a doctor, or do some very important personal matters during the lockdown period. Residents should be at ease about this.

On the one hand, abundant supplies of food and daily necessities are coming from the mainland daily, and on the other hand, authorities are also working intensively to come up with a people-friendly mandatory universal testing plan that fits Hong Kong’s situation; there is plenty of time and goods available for Hong Kong people to shop rationally and considerably. Let’s work together in solidarity to fight the battle against the omicron variant and have it kicked out of Hong Kong.

The author is a member of the Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans and a freelance writer.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.