Editorial | Hong Kong still to get its act together even after 11 months of virus

With the fourth wave of Covid-19 intensifying in Hong Kong, the government has again stepped in with measures to restrict public activity to control the spread of the disease. The latest restrictions are necessary and should bring the number of cases down. But some experts are wondering why authorities did not act more decisively and promptly despite having so much experience in battling the pandemic. As businesses face further losses of revenue, jobs are once more put at risk and lives disrupted, it is a question authorities have to seriously consider.

The latest restrictions are familiar from previous waves of the disease; diners at restaurants will have to leave at 6pm, and gyms and beauty and massage parlours will not be allowed to open. There will also be a tightening of existing rules, with travellers arriving at the airport required to be taken directly on designated coaches to specified hotels for 14 days of quarantine and having to undergo a second Covid-19 test five or six days afterwards. But while the earlier measures take effect tomorrow, the latter will not occur until a date still to be determined. That is a worrying prospect given the present lax oversight of new arrivals and the fast-rising numbers of students and others coming to the city for Christmas and the new year. Not since March have levels been so high.

There has been a dramatic rise in daily infections over the past two weeks, the number yesterday again moving into the triple-digits. Appropriately, the Executive Council approved legislation on mandatory testing for certain groups and keeping those awaiting results locked down at home. Such restrictions are not viewed favourably by all concerned due to the inconvenience caused and there are logistical challenges. But if outbreaks of local clusters, now numbering seven involving 10 people or more since late last month, three with over 50, are to be contained and eliminated, such actions are the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.

The number of untraceable cases remains disturbingly high. Also worrying is that the virus appears to have mutated, with the latest strain seemingly more virulent and affecting more people aged in their 40s to 60s. Hospital intensive care unit beds are filling fast and are now at 70 per cent capacity, further challenging the health care system. Tough steps are necessary and should be expected.

But loopholes, like those involving airport arrivals, still exist. People visiting severely ill patients in some hospitals are not required to wear full protective gear. Social-distancing restrictions still appear to be imposed in a knee-jerk manner. Despite all the lessons learned in the past 11 months, the government still does not have a comprehensive strategy, nor are enough citizens taking the coronavirus seriously.