Arrival of coronavirus variants a signal for Hong Kong to take no chances, plan for the worst, experts warn

Three cases detected this month show it’s not the time to ease restrictions, health experts say

Experts favour extending travel bans on India, Philippines, Pakistan to prevent spread of variants

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The city must keep up its border defences – including a travel ban for severely stricken countries – experts say. Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Published: 9:00am, 27 Apr 2021Updated: 2:35pm, 27 Apr 2021

Health experts have warned that Hong Kong risks seeing more infectious Covid-19 variants taking root, and urged authorities to stay alert and plan for the worst.

Among other things, they said the city must keep up its border defences – including a travel ban for severely stricken countries – maintain its 21-day quarantine for all overseas arrivals, and revisit proposals for potential “travel bubbles” including with Singapore, which officials announced on Monday was set to launch on May 26.

Four infectious disease specialists the Post spoke to sounded the alarm after a mutant Covid-19 strain was detected locally this month.

“Hong Kong will be digging its own grave if it contemplates relaxing its border restrictions at this point,” said Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory medicine specialist.

“When we already know the mutants can be more infectious, why would we want to gamble away our health and livelihoods in the city?”

Since April 17, the city has recorded three local coronavirus infections carrying an N501Y mutation.