LettersHong Kong third wave: time to fight the common enemy, save the criticism for later

Name: Experts from mainland China arrive to help Hong Kong fight the city’s worst wave of coronavirus
Uploaded: 2020-08-03T23:05:18.000Z
Description: Experts from mainland China arrive to help Hong Kong fight the city’s worst wave of coronavirus

Constructive advice and encouragement are always needed, especially in times of adversity, but the public should focus on the common enemy of Covid-19 instead of lodging incessant complaints and criticisms against the government

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Pedestrians in face masks wait to cross the road in Causeway Bay on July 29, as compulsory mask-wearing rules to cover all public areas came into effect as part of stricter measures against the third wave of coronavirus infections. Photo: Nora Tam

Letters

Published: 7:05am, 4 Aug 2020Updated: 7:05am, 4 Aug 2020

Hong Kong was doing fine against Covid-19 until the resurgence of infections in early July. Since the third wave broke, the city government has been condemned for not implementing effective preventive measures to curb the virus, blamed for leading to uncontrollable community transmission and increasing deaths. One of the loopholes was the loose policy of allowing air and marine crews to move around the city before negative test results were confirmed.

Locals kept urging Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration not to offer exemptions to quarantine rules, such as for seafarers and aircrew. Even so, it was not until Hong Kong had more than a week of 100 or more new positive cases a day that the government finally imposed stricter rules.

It now requires flight crew to demonstrate a negative Covid-19 test before arriving in Hong Kong, while disembarking seafarers have to wait on board for their transfer to their next destination. It is mandatory to wear masks in public areas, including outdoor venues. There was also a total, albeit short-lived, ban on dine-in services last week.

Even so, these policies have received significant negative feedback from multiple stakeholders. The International Air Transport Association, for instance, disagrees with testing pilots and cabin crew for Covid-19 before arriving in Hong Kong. Some people refuse to wear masks outdoors or do not wear them properly because they find it too unbearable in hot weather.

Experts from mainland China arrive to help Hong Kong fight the city’s worst wave of coronavirus

Undoubtedly, our government has a lot of room for improvement. Amid the pandemic, however, those in charge do not need more finger-pointing. Constructive advice and encouragement are always needed, especially in times of adversity. Instead of lodging incessant complaints and criticisms, why can’t we be more united to fight against Covid-19 and leave the rest for later?