While there should be some positive vibes arising from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s press conference on Monday, I cannot help but feel confused by some of the measures she mentioned and which are going to be slowly introduced in the city. Lam was quoted as saying, “Without major outbreaks, Hong Kong can be categorised as a low-risk area according to global standards.” However, the new measures announced totally contradict this statement. Current social-distancing measures will remain in place for a further two weeks. This is despite Lam saying at the beginning of the press conference that the current rolling two-week average of untraceable new cases is 0.7 per day. Easter was used as a reason for the continuation of the existing restrictions. It is welcome news that those Hong Kong residents currently stuck in Britain will be able to “freely” book flights and return to the city, but why only in May? Furthermore, those in question will still need to undergo a 21-day quarantine in government-specified facilities. They must endure one of the strictest quarantine regimes in the world, regardless of whether they have already been vaccinated. However, the government is happy to open the border with the mainland with no quarantine necessary, regardless of whether the traveller has been vaccinated. What could possibly go wrong? The difference in treatment between the UK and Hong Kong should come as no surprise. While sadly the UK has been one of the worst-hit countries in terms of the pandemic, it has been one of the best in terms of the execution of its vaccination programme . On the other hand, in terms of medical statistics, Hong Kong has had relatively few Covid-19 casualties. Unfortunately, this has resulted in widespread apathy among the population in terms of getting vaccinated. Monday’s government announcement will do nothing to encourage people to get vaccinated. The slow relaxation of social-distancing measures is likely to be met with a slow uptake in vaccination bookings . Only those with an advanced degree are likely to be able to decipher what the new rules actually mean, and only rocket scientists will be able to figure out how to make them work in practice. The government needs to move out of first gear to start rebuilding the economy. Graeme Duncan, Jordan