With no trust in their government, Hongkongers have to take care of themselves in coronavirus chaos

The Cantonese proverb says it all about today’s Hong Kong: there was already a big hole in the roof when the night-long rain began. From political turmoil, the city has effortlessly segued into a health crisis, both unresolved and badly managed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her government.

Hong Kong, after all, has strong international connections and needs to maintain those bonds to thrive. We are not Wuhan or any other Chinese city; attracting business, trade and investment is essential.

The vain search for surgical masks and hand sanitiser to ward off the coronavirus, which causes the disease named Covid-19, is not specifically what has brought us to this juncture. We have been told that, in a free market such as Hong Kong, it is up to individuals, not the government, to provide supplies.

There is understandable astonishment at such a claim; our city has massive public financial reserves. Why is facial protection that costs just a few dollars apiece being denied when the police have not been questioned for racking up HK$1 billion (US$128 million) in overtime pay in taking on democracy protesters?

Nor is there anything particularly unusual about the panic buying of daily necessities from supermarkets or having to work from home. We went through such tribulations during the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003.