Letters | What Hong Kong needs is a citywide lockdown: China has shown the way

Any relaxation of pandemic regulations is contingent on the infection rate slowing down. The mainland’s success in tackling the coronavirus through lockdowns and mandatory testing should offer a lesson

Coronavirus pandemic

Letters

Published: 6:40am, 27 Jan 2021

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With 200 buildings in Yau Tsim Mong district sealed off on January 23, the city finally imposed its first limited lockdown. Nevertheless, even after residents in the cut-off area were tested, community transmissions were far from being eradicated (“Experts ask if lockdown in Hong Kong needed; city logs 73 Covid-19 cases”, January 25).

It is time for the government to understand that mandatory testing is only efficient when all residents are involved, which would also require a temporary lockdown of the city.

Although new cases were discovered in Yau Tsim Mong district during the limited lockdown and sources of infection cut off temporarily, unknown sources still remain in neighbouring areas, and community infections in the previously sealed off district could re-emerge. After all, the limited lockdown, which caused so much inconvenience to the residents, can never prevent subsequent infections.

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In the face of scattered sources of infection throughout the city, larger-scale mandatory testing seems to be the only way out. The mainland has successfully controlled outbreaks of Covid-19 by adopting the measure of fast and large-scale testing. For instance, the outbreak in Qingdao was curbed in a few days when 11 million were tested.

As urged by China’s top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan, mandatory testing and a temporary citywide lockdown would prove effective in cutting off infection sources in Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong coronavirus lockdown: 10,000 people confined as police cordon off part of Yau Tsim Mong

Nevertheless, this effective method has received criticism. Public opposition is often cited by Chief Executive Carrie Lam to explain the government’s indifference towards this proposal. I believe this excuse is self-contradictory.

When the government is incapable of handling the outbreak using current measures, wouldn’t the persistence of the status quo, with dozens of new cases per day, arouse further public outrage?

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Personal freedom is also a major concern. However, any relaxation of pandemic-related regulations is contingent on the infection rate slowing down. Are we going to endure endless extensions of regulations solely because of our fear of a temporary lockdown?

I believe most Hong Kong residents are longing for the relaxation of regulations. Looking at the mainland’s success in handling the virus through lockdowns and mandatory testing, it seems fair to sacrifice personal freedom for a few days in return for long-term stability.

Nicolas Lin, Tsing Yi

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