In the 11th century, the story goes, King Canute of England, Denmark and Norway took his courtiers to the beach to show them the tide could not be stopped from coming in. The lesson is that the inevitable will happen and the best any leader can do is manage the consequences. That lesson applies directly to the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong. We know the latest variants are extremely contagious and cannot be stopped from spreading in the community. We also know they are much less virulent, and vaccines provide a very high level of protection. Given the devastating consequences of our Covid-19 policies on the economy, we urgently need a change of mindset to save our city and economy. Every week, more international businesses trim back their Hong Kong operations or relocate. Every week, more long-standing Hong Kong residents, both local and expatriate, sadly pack up and leave forever. Chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu has identified the competition for talent as a major priority to maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness. But how can we expect to secure new talent if we can’t retain the professionals we have? These things we see. But also every week there are the things we don’t see: the decision by an overseas company not to set up here, or to hold a meeting, conference or exhibition somewhere else. A posting to Hong Kong has become a punishment, not an incentive. The cruise industry has, for the most part, dropped us from its schedules for the next three years, and a major technology gathering has cancelled its 2023 event. Meanwhile, our competitors in the region are taking full advantage of our situation. Thailand has just launched a major drive to lure MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) travellers. They used to be the backbone of our tourism industry, when we still had one. Dubai and perennial rival Singapore are also upping their game. Meanwhile, many Hongkongers are panicking about the possibility of Covid-19 when up to five million may already have had it, many without realising it because their symptoms were so mild. Happily, most have recovered naturally, but the sense of panic lingers. Mask-wearing is the closest Hong Kong has come to an official religion. The government has been in office for less than two months and made two sensible changes. The cancellation of the absurd flight suspension scheme , and the reduction of hotel quarantine from seven days to “ three plus four ” are welcome. But we need to move with greater speed and urgency. Abrupt major changes are not our style. So let us instead draw up and implement a phased rollback programme, and let us announce that programme as soon as possible. I suggest we start with masks , as they are the most visible symbol of restrictions, and seeing them everywhere every day feeds the sense of crisis. On RTHK’s Backchat programme, of which I am a co-host, we discuss Covid-19 with experts almost every week. They are unanimous in saying that mask-wearing was essential in the early stages of the pandemic but is no longer as useful with high vaccination rates and acquired immunity via previous infections. Indeed, by preventing circulation of common viruses, they reduce the community’s immunity levels and leave us more vulnerable to the next flu season. In phase one, we should scrap the mask mandate for any outdoor activity. Seeing unmasked faces in the street will start lowering tension. Phase two: cancel the indoor mask mandate and limit it to public transport as Singapore has just done . Phase three: complete abolition. Similarly, with the size of public gatherings, let us move from four to eight in phase one, then 20 in phase two, then unlimited in phase three. Hong Kong must ask hard questions over value of pandemic suffering Somehow we have slipped into an orgy of testing. Those in special circumstances (working in hospitals or care homes for the elderly, for example) should continue frequent testing . But staff of some other organisations, including in the private sector and government departments, are being required to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) before work every day as a matter of routine. Visitors to some private companies, or wishing to meet senior officials, must first produce proof of negative test results. Those brave souls seeking to visit or return to Hong Kong are undertaking five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in the space of a few days, in addition to daily RATs. We have got to start winding this back. Phase one: routine checking to be twice per week instead of daily; phase two: weekly; then dropped. For those arriving in Hong Kong, in phase one, drop the daily RATs, then in phase two, reduce PCR tests to three (one before boarding, one on arrival, one after a week), and drop testing altogether in phase three. The big one is quarantine itself. We should aim to scrap it for all arrivals testing negative, and rely on the traffic light system instead, that is, restricted movement for the first seven days. In the meantime, allowing quarantine at home is an obvious first step. I have been described by some as “not a team player” because of my constant criticism of the Covid-19 restrictions. But the truth is, we are scoring own goals. In such circumstances, is it the player who speaks up or the one who remains silent who is the more loyal team member? One final thought: can we scrap the dismal daily press conference and make it weekly instead, with daily press releases. The most urgent change we need is in the mindset: the acceptance that Covid-19 is here to stay and the only question is how best to live with it. Thank you, King Canute. Mike Rowse is the CEO of Treloar Enterprises