An advertisement for London Transport on British television celebrates the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in the UK. It promotes a variety of activities people there can enjoy, including cinemas, exhibitions, drinks after work, reunions, live music, gyms and a range of sports. Other ads feature holidays overseas. It is enough to make those of us living in Hong Kong green with envy. These are all pleasures denied to us as the city endures an epidemic, with around 20,000 cases and almost 300 deaths a day. A ray of light appeared last week, however, when Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor revealed there will be a “midterm review” of the government’s tough anti-Covid-19 measures. The results are eagerly awaited and could be revealed as early as Sunday. Flights bans on passengers from nine countries, including the US, Britain, and India are among the measures being reconsidered. The city’s strict quarantine rules, school closures and planned compulsory testing exercise are also under review. There are calls for restrictions on entertainment venues to be eased. The change in the mood music, after more than two years of stringent measures aimed at completely eliminating the virus, came as a welcome surprise. Lam recognised people’s tolerance for the disruption of their daily lives and the city’s isolation from the world was fading. She is right about that. We are thoroughly fed up. It appears the review has been driven by an exodus of residents in recent weeks, especially expats and professionals, and concerns about the erosion of Hong Kong’s international status. At last, it seems, reality is dawning. The time has come for a change of direction or, at least, a rebalancing of risks and restrictions. Hong Kong was hailed as a model for tackling Covid-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. Severe quarantine measures and travel restrictions succeeded in keeping Covid-19 out for months. But they came at a heavy price. Those measures have taken a terrible toll on the well-being of the community. They have hit certain sectors of the economy hard, forced local businesses into closure and disrupted the education of the young. Meanwhile, the city’s international fraternity has been frustrated by border closures. Now, with Omicron rampant, hospitals overwhelmed and the highest death rate in the developed world, Hong Kong people are entitled to ask what all the sacrifices were for. The government needs to win back their trust and to offer hope that life will soon return to normal. ‘Frank words’, warnings prompted Hong Kong leader’s rethink of anti-Covid measures Some of the measures that have formed the backbone of the government’s tough approach have been rendered futile by the rapid spread of the virus. They need to be dropped if they are no longer effective. Officials should also consider if it makes sense to proceed with a mass testing exercise at all now that half the population is estimated to have been infected. We should no longer fret about whether we are aiming for “dynamic zero-Covid” or “living with the virus”. These labels have lost their meaning and distract us from having a clear focus. What matters is not what the strategy is called, but how effective it proves to be. It must be realistic, compassionate and clearly communicated. The priorities are clear. Protect the vulnerable, notably the elderly. Make sure the people who most need treatment receive it. Only send into quarantine those who really need to be there. And do whatever it takes to get everyone vaccinated. There will, understandably, be some caution about lifting restrictions when cases and deaths remain high. But Hong Kong people desperately need to be given a lift after two miserable years. It is to be hoped the policy review will provide an exit strategy – not for departures from Hong Kong but for the city’s emergence from the epidemic. The advertisement for London Transport ends with the words “welcome back”. We look forward to being able to say the same about Hong Kong.