01 perspective
Written by: Comment Editor
2020-03-01 09:00
Last updated: 2020-03-01 09:00The government announced the restoration of more public services on Monday (March 2), including Immigration Office, SWD Case Services, Transport Department Road Test Services, Public Housing Estate Management Office, Buildings Department Information Centre and some outdoor sports facilities. It is expected that many companies will also arrange with the civil servants and require employees to return to the office. The new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic has not subsided, and it is spreading in the field. At the same time, to resume work, it is necessary to ensure that employees have adequate protective equipment, and to keep the office clean and reduce close contact.
Sufficient equipment is a prerequisite for return to work
Throughout February, schools were closed, shops were closed, and white-collar workers worked from home in order to reduce interpersonal communication and block the spread of new coronary pneumonia. There are still new cases in Hong Kong today, and citizens' daily protective supplies are not sufficient. Citizens and unions may question the inappropriate timing of returning to work. However, some services are not available online, and there will be a backlog of cases if the entire month is paused. The driving test of the Transport Department is an example. It is understandable that the government should restore public services less.
Whether it's restoring public services or returning employees to the office, epidemic prevention remains paramount. The government ’s press release on Thursday (27th) mentioned a bunch of anti-infection measures, such as strengthening cleaning offices, measuring the temperature of the public and providing alcohol-based hand rubs, but did not mention masks, which is inevitably worrying.
Recently, government departments have circulated to require front-line employees to purchase masks for colleagues on their own, which was confirmed by members of the Civil Service Union. This approach is quite unsatisfactory. Even though the retail supply of local masks has slightly loosened, with the outbreak of outbreaks in the region, the arrival of goods is again tense at any time, and local production has been unable to catch up with demand. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Law Chi-kwong, said on Friday (28) that the government would give priority to masks to people who work in crowded environments or who have frequent contact with the public, and would provide masks to colleagues in need. The government should ensure that civil servants obtain at least one conforming mask every day, and enterprises should also provide employees with sufficient anti-epidemic materials. If conditions are not allowed, they should not force a return to work.
It's up to you and me to get out of the epidemic
In addition, there will be increased foot traffic in commercial buildings, public transport and restaurants. The Chairman of the Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee of the Hong Kong Medical Association, Leung Tze-chao, suggested that employees can be flexibly commuted to work and lunch. Alternatively, take-out can be selected to reduce the gathering to restaurants. Apart from employers, public transport operators and restaurants should also be more vigilant to avoid becoming a place for spreading the virus.
The fight against epidemics is not only about cleaning, but also about the flow of people and indoor layout. Across the river in Shenzhen, the city government issued guidelines for the prevention and control of the catering industry on Thursday. In addition to prohibiting the reception of large-scale dinners and measuring the body temperature of customers, it also stipulated that customers at each table should keep their meals for at least ten minutes. Round table guests You need to sit in a separate seat, at least one meter apart, and even require at least one guest at each table to register their names for future tracking. These measures are hard to follow in Hong Kong, but how Hong Kong can resume operations and do a good job of epidemic prevention is really worth thinking by the government and enterprises.
The epidemic situation is still unsolved. Some harbors may look to the sky and hope that when summer approaches, the virus will reduce the level of activity. However, it is still in the early spring. Experts also pointed out that new pneumonia may not disappear in the summer, and the key to successful epidemic prevention is always daily action. As Yuan Guoyong, an infectious disease expert, said, "If everyone is doing well, the chain of infection will break, so be pessimistic." Rather than look at the sky, do a good job of personal and public health, and work together to fight the epidemic.
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01 perspective
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