Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa yesterday appeared resigned to the grim possibility of a further drop in visitors to Hong Kong in the wake of the World Health Organisation's travel warning.
With the continued spread of the mysterious atypical pneumonia disease, the fact is that foreign visitors have begun to shun Hong Kong. The tourism industry reported a drop of 30 per cent in arrivals last week. Airlines have cancelled flights. Expatriate families have fled.
With or without the latest WHO travel advice, life in Hong Kong has been, and will continue to be, disrupted.
Worse still, yesterday's global health warning will deepen the mood of gloom, and dent public confidence in efforts to fight the disease. The decision by the Swiss government to bar Hong Kong attendants at a trade fair raises fresh fears about freedom of travel of residents overseas.
The latest blow to confidence comes as the community reacts calmly - and with a degree of maturity and understanding - to the crisis. Over the past week, there has been a remarkable change of sentiment towards restraint and pragmatism within various quarters of the society.
Politicians and the media have conceded the futility of pointing the finger of blame - at least temporarily. This is because the community desperately wants results, not words.
