Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com 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. There has been much discussion about the feasibility of an isolation policy with the aim of reducing the spread of Covid-19. Further, the remarkable speed with which the community isolation facility in Tsing Yi was completed has also caught the attention of many, being called nothing short of miraculous. However, the safety of any building in Hong Kong is also regulated by many ordinances previously gazetted by the Legislative Council. These include occupation permits issued by the Building Authority, fire safety of buildings ensured by the Fire Safety Ordinance, standards of safe electrical supply maintained by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and others. The criteria for admission to the quarantine centre is based on a clinical condition for which medication might also be prescribed. Therefore, the community isolation facility should be governed by one of the following: the Hospital Authority Ordinance, the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance, the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance or the code of practice issued by the Social Welfare Department. Finally, in anticipation of the likelihood of anxiety and mental health issues, there should be provisions for people’s personal safety and the prevention of suicide. By adopting the use of community isolation facilities, let us hope the cure is not worse than the disease and that safe building quality, clinical standards and the rule of law will always be maintained in Hong Kong, no matter how strange our times. Dr John M. Low, Happy Valley Lam stuck with tough juggling act over mass testing Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made the hasty decision to advance the school summer holidays to mid-March. That decision was taken before visiting mainland officials such as top epidemiologist Liang Wannian were able to see for themselves the real situation in the city and hold discussions. It’s now decided that priorities should change and March is not the best time for mass testing. The call to defer mass testing was actually made last week by other medical experts from the University of Hong Kong and Chinese University, but it was not until Liang waded in that Lam budged. She has now postponed compulsory universal testing to an unspecified time and admitted that the new measures were based on the opinions of mainland experts. Apparently it just takes one voice from the mainland and everything is quickly sorted. Lam was asked during a press conference if closing schools early was for no good reason, and her reply was specious. It clearly showed she is stuck in a tough juggling act. By deferring mass testing, she faces an uproar from teachers, parents and students over the fiasco of having to disrupt schooling for no good reason. If she presses ahead and follows through on the earlier decision, then medical experts in both the mainland and Hong Kong would in one voice criticise the Hong Kong government for being inept and ignoring science. Carol Choi, Tai Tam Emergency message use was inappropriate At about 6pm this Wednesday, my phone emitted a blaring sound and my heart skipped a beat. Was this a nuclear war alert? After all, Russian President Vladimir Putin had put the world on notice . Perhaps it was an earthquake alert, but Hong Kong is not in a quake zone. My fears were settled after I figured out it was a message sent by our government that Queen Elizabeth Hospital had been turned into a designated hospital for Covid-19 patients. The announcement was made that morning, and the chief executive addressed it at her press conference. Mass media did their part disseminating the message for almost seven hours. It is thus very inappropriate to have sent us the same message once again – this time with a scary tone. Randy Lee, Ma On Shan Tie consumption vouchers to vaccines for elderly’s sake Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po refuses to condition the receipt of the consumption vouchers to being vaccinated. His reasoning is that the elderly – who are the least vaccinated part of the population – are already stressed enough and are the most needy. Therefore, they need the vouchers. This is wrong. The consumption vouchers are intended to stimulate the economy by encouraging the recipients to spend them. If the intent of the vouchers is to address need, the authorities should give out the equivalent of cash so the money can be used anywhere and target the distribution to the least well-off. Frankly, a few thousand dollars will not address the predicament of the truly needy among the elderly. However, more than a few of them will succumb to Covid-19 without vaccination, which statistics show provides protection from serious illness or death. The carrot for being vaccinated is not just a few thousand dollars but the prospect of a longer life. Tim Bardwell, Lantau Jobs and the economy are important piorities too I am a 77-year-old senior citizen who is very concerned with the government’s coronavirus control policy. I am grateful that the government is so concerned about us seniors. However, in our concern for the seniors, are we ignoring the younger generation? Are we destroying the future of our young who are losing their jobs and businesses to protect seniors who refuse to vaccinate? It’s time to seriously consider scrapping the flight bans and opening up our borders to foreigners. The situation cannot be made worse. How many more cases can visitors bring to Hong Kong, especially if we are testing them before allowing entry? Has the government weighed the risks and rewards of a more open border? Singapore surely has done the sums and come to the conclusion that the rewards outweigh risks. Another matter of concern is the government’s policy of shutting down all sports, which are essential for one’s health during these stressful times. I cannot understand why the government has to shut down outdoor sports such as cycling, tennis and golf, all of which can be done with a mask on and with no close contact. Ma Ching Yuen, Repulse Bay