Opinion | How local leadership failures left Hong Kong at the mercy of Omicron

Name: No respite for Covid cases in Hong Kong as infections surge in mainland China
Uploaded: 2022-03-16T22:45:15.000Z
Duration: 3 min 46 s
Description: No respite for Covid cases in Hong Kong as infections surge in mainland China

Hong Kong’s link with the mainland is important economically and socially, but failing to meet Beijing’s requirements has left us isolated

Our leaders left us unprepared for the fifth wave, not because of a lack of ability but, rather, a lack of humility and an overabundance of self-confidence

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Ronnie C. Chan

Published: 6:45am, 17 Mar 2022

Since 1997, Hong Kong has yet to confront a more serious non-political issue than the pandemic. On the heels of the 2019 protests and the aftermath, which considerably damaged confidence in our city, the way we have handled the latest wave of Covid-19 has put more doubts in the minds of the global community. Let me provide some perspective on the present mess.

Why does Hong Kong have to follow mainland China’s strategy of “dynamic zero infection”? Why can’t we, like the rest of the world, move towards herd immunity? As an entrepot and an international city, we rely on both the West and the mainland for our economic well-being.

For example, the former is a supplier of capital and the latter its users. Transactions often take place in Hong Kong. However, there is an additional critical dimension to our relationship with the rest of China. Many of our citizens commute across the border to work each day, and children likewise cross the border to attend school.

In other words, while our connection with the West is predominantly economic, that with the mainland is both economic and social. The border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is also among the busiest border crossings in the world.

With that being the case, choosing to relax travel restrictions with the mainland instead of the rest of the world is evidently more crucial for Hong Kong. Given the divergent policies in tackling the pandemic, we can only choose one side.

03:46

No respite for Covid cases in Hong Kong as infections surge in mainland China

With the “dynamic zero” approach, we have to impose strict quarantine rules and travel restrictions, thus largely closing our borders with the rest of the world. The economic consequences are dire, but if this means we can have free access to the mainland, then it should be worth it.

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