Editorial | Hong Kong Covid-19 restrictions that no longer add up should be done away with
- Measures need to be reviewed as city seeks to strike balance between restoring public and economic life and disease control
Hong Kong’s much-loathed Covid-19 restrictions have made the government a target of criticism. This is especially the case when some measures appear increasingly out of place amid a stabilising community outbreak. There is certainly room for review as the city seeks to strike a balance between restoring public and economic life and disease control.
The continuation of the four-person public gathering ban and the mandatory use of the risk-exposure “Leave Home Safe” app in supermarkets and shopping centres look particularly awkward when the curbs on dining and drinking are further relaxed.
Critics say it makes little sense when restaurant goers may take off their masks and sit around a table of 12 while it is illegal for any four people wearing face coverings to gather outdoors.
The government has long been criticised for being unscientific when coming up with a cap on the number of people allowed to gather, which has ranged from two to 50 during outbreaks.
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Some have gone further to suggest it seeks to suppress protests following the social unrest of 2019, although officials are adamant the restriction is based purely on public health concerns. But, as medical experts point out, few places have such bans nowadays, and they also sit oddly with the city’s push to gradually ease controls.