Advertisement
Letters | New health secretary Lo Chung-mau’s honesty about mainland border reopening is refreshing
- Readers discuss Lo Chung-mau’s first two weeks as Secretary for Health, Carrie Lam HK$8.7 million office makeover, and the bus practices putting elderly passengers at risk
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
5
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.
Hong Kong’s new government officials have been in office for about a fortnight now after being sworn in by President Xi Jinping. A priority task for the new government is reopening the borders with the mainland and the rest of the world.
In just one week, Secretary for Health Professor Lo Chung-mau has impressed me on two major issues.
Advertisement
First, the quota of quarantine hotel rooms in Shenzhen has been increased from 1,300 to 2,000 per day after Professor Lo consulted and communicated with his Shenzhen counterparts. Although the demand for quarantine rooms still far exceeds supply, the quick increase in the number of places sends a positive message.
Moreover, Lo asked officials in Shenzhen to crack down on scalpers who buy up room reservations and then sell them for a higher price. The Shenzhen authorities should adopt a stricter approach to quarantine booking, such as by using facial recognition technology to ensure actual people, not bots, are registering for rooms.
Advertisement
Second, Lo said on a television programme that it is unreasonable to expect quarantine-free entry to the mainland in the short term. His frankness is in contrast to officials in the past touting plans for reopening and then shifting the responsibility to officials across the border.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x