Editorial | Striking right balance remains Hong Kong’s Covid-19 test
- As necessary adjustments are made to restrictions and infections surge in the city, vigilance remains as important as ever
Hong Kong’s road to recovery remains a bumpy one. On one hand, a stubborn resurgence in Covid-19 infections is hindering the pace of opening up. On the other, the authorities have only resorted to piecemeal health control adjustments every now and then to appease an impatient community. Striking the right balance remains a challenge.
In another welcome step, the stringent screening rule for inbound travellers is to be eased. Instead of four polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in seven days, only the first two will remain, but the rapid antigen test (RAT) mandate for seven consecutive days shall continue. Officials said the change had taken into account the need for medical surveillance and travel convenience. Whether it will attract more arrivals remains to be seen.
With most imported infections identified within the first few days, officials conceded that cases found in third and fourth tests may well be the result of local contact. Some experts have argued that the first test at the airport is sufficient to guard against new variants from overseas. Further relaxation must not be ruled out.
Earlier, in a U-turn on the easing of pandemic curbs, the government announced cinema-goers and users of public skating rinks would still have to undergo vaccine pass checks. Officials argued there had been confusion among the public and the change had been made to provide clarity. Although not exactly a matter of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu breaking his promise not to backtrack on restrictions, “active” and “passive” checks for different venues are difficult for people to follow. There is certainly room for improvement.
The recent surge in infections, 8,052 on Thursday and 8,008 on Friday, also underlines the need for greater vigilance. Government approval of the BioNTech bivalent vaccine for emergency use against the Omicron subvariant later this year is a timely response. Hopefully, this will help strengthen public protection.
The fluctuations in case numbers will continue to put the government to the test, particularly when restrictions and vaccinations need to be modified.