My recent trip to the US has highlighted the divisions that Covid-19 has sown in societies around the world – masked vs unmasked, vaccinated vs unvaccinated, traveller vs non-traveller, have vs have-not. Mask wearing in the United States has been politicised and is practised roughly along party lines. According to USA Today , 12 states with Democratic governors have imposed mask mandates in schools, while nine states with Republican governors have banned mask mandates. Luckily, mask wearing has not been controversial in Hong Kong and most of Asia. However, the recent tightening of travel quarantine restrictions has divided Hong Kong into two camps. Many locals agree that it was necessary to change the quarantine period for arrivals from the US to 21 days and support the decision to stop shortening quarantine periods for vaccinated travellers with positive antibody tests by seven days. This was driven by some government data which showed that 11.5 per cent of Covid-19 cases of fully vaccinated travellers were not detected within seven days. On the other hand, businesspeople, expats and locals with any type of overseas connection are angry and frustrated with the changing rules. Gone is the ability to go on a short trip to see a client, discuss a business deal in person, or visit family overseas without onerous quarantine upon return to Hong Kong. Gainfully employed overseas relatives have been unable to visit their elderly parents or sick family members in Hong Kong, as who can afford to take a month or longer off work? A two-week trip from the US (seven days of quarantine in Hong Kong, followed by a one-week visit) has just turned into a month-long endeavour that few can manage financially, mentally and time-wise. Don’t blame dear Nicole, it’s not her fault Lest we feel too sorry for ourselves, let’s remember that Australia has an even more draconian coronavirus policy. Melbourne has endured 200 days of lockdown and Australians are banned from leaving the country unless they obtain an exemption. Obviously, people around the world are tired of more than a year of coronavirus restrictions: lockdowns, travel restrictions, mask wearing and social distancing. But what are governments to do as they struggle to balance individual freedoms and public health? Although the US has a 7-day moving average of around 140,000 daily new cases and a similar vaccination rate to Hong Kong’s, it has chosen to treat Covid-19 as endemic, accepting that the virus will continue to circulate, much like the flu. This means that life has largely returned to normal, with social distancing restrictions removed and borders generally open, putting the onus on people to protect themselves by getting vaccinated. Time for Hong Kong to emerge from its ever-shrinking bubble On the other hand, Hong Kong, mainland China, New Zealand and Australia are pursuing a zero-Covid policy, which means that restrictions will continue to be in place for the foreseeable future. Our approach is based on a belief that we can stop the spread of the virus and that the sacrifice of some personal freedoms and the economy is acceptable for the time being. While it is an imperfect solution, the only way out of this quagmire is through a high level of vaccination. Experts generally agree that the pandemic ends when enough people are protected from serious illness. A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed that unvaccinated people were 29 times more likely to end up in hospital than vaccinated people. In Hong Kong, close to 60 per cent of the population has received the first vaccine dose. Unfortunately, the numbers look less rosy for the elderly, with 34 per cent of those aged 70-79 having received one dose, and only 10 per cent of those aged 80 and above. The elderly are most vulnerable, as a 75-year-old is 230 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than a 20-year old. The government’s recent efforts to take elderly walk-ins at vaccination centres have helped turn things around. Many are questioning Hong Kong’s zero-Covid strategy, especially when there have been no new local cases for several months and mainland China has yet to relax its border restrictions on us. Should Hong Kong continue a policy that protects the wilfully unvaccinated at high cost to personal freedoms and the economy? Should we open up and put the onus on vaccine holdouts to protect themselves? So far, we have decided to put community health first. Time will tell if this is a sustainable strategy. Bernard Chan is convenor of Hong Kong’s Executive Council