Advertisement
Letters | The real problem with Hong Kong’s Covid-19 strategy? Insufficient alignment with mainland China’s model
- Readers call for a more effective adherence to the mainland strategy of responding to outbreaks, the release of even more data on infections, and mandatory vaccination rather than mass testing
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
19
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.
I refer to Cliff Buddle’s column “The zero-Covid strategy bought time that was not used well” (February 19).
Nobody would dispute that the government should have been better prepared for the Omicron onslaught. However, our mounting crisis is not the result of the government’s adherence to mainland China’s “dynamic zero Covid” strategy, as being aligned with the mainland or adhering to a zero-tolerance strategy are not the real problems with Hong Kong’s Covid-19 strategy.
Advertisement
Rather, the real problem is we are not sufficiently aligned to the mainland model. This is the reason mainland authorities have been reluctant to reopen their southern boundary with us.
Because of that, many of us, local or expatriate, have suffered greatly from our inability to renew our kinship, business and economic ties with mainland China for more than two years. This has caused much suffering and greatly damaged Hong Kong as an ideal venue to do business with China.
Advertisement
Another problem is that we are not “dynamic” enough in detection, isolation, pushing vaccination and making preparations for treatment of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x