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Written by: Zhang Meilan
2021-05-23 16:56
Last update date: 2021-05-23 16:57
Hong Kong has recently moved towards the goal of "clearing to zero" and the conditions for customs clearance with the Mainland have gradually matured. However, on Saturday (22nd) it was suddenly revealed that the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" plan banned Guangdong Province from participating, but the "slingshot" withdrew within half of the time. Awkward situation.
In response to the recent local confirmed cases in Liwan District of Guangzhou, Zhang Zhujun, Director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Center for Health Protection, announced at the epidemic press conference yesterday (22nd) that Guangdong Province was listed as a "medium risk area" and Hong Kong residents in the province cannot After returning to Hong Kong without quarantine through "Easy Return to Hong Kong", a few hours later, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau issued a paper in the evening to change its statement saying that Guangdong Province was not listed as a "medium risk area", which caused external doubts about policy confusion.
"Hong Kong 01" received news that before Zhang Zhujun announced the new measures, the Constitutional Affairs Bureau was aware of the Department of Health's arrangements, but a few hours later, the Constitutional Affairs Bureau agreed to change the decision.
It is reported that the government will adjust the mainland's epidemic risk assessment in the future, and may narrow it to "community" according to the situation. Even if a small community has a case, it does not necessarily cause the whole province to "suffer".
▼On May 22, residents of Block 5A and 5B of Cullinan West will be subject to compulsory testing ▼
The epidemic in Hong Kong has eased, and the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program will be extended to other mainland provinces and cities other than Guangdong Province on April 29.
The Department of Health mentioned in the press conference at 4:30 pm yesterday that due to a local case in Liwan District of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province will be included in a medium-risk area. From May 23rd, citizens cannot use "Easy Return to Hong Kong" to arrive in Hong Kong via Guangdong Province.
Withdraw the decision within 6 hours
After 6 hours, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau issued a press release late at night, changing its position and changing its name to only adjust Jinlong Huixin Pavilion, Longjin Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou City to a "medium risk area". Provinces are not classified as "medium risk areas", and the arrangements for the Easy Return to Hong Kong Program will remain unchanged for the time being.
In other words, the "medium-risk area" suddenly shrank from one province to the building where the confirmed patient lived.
News: Zhang Zhujun announced the adjustment of the plan to return to Hong Kong, the former Constitutional Bureau knew about it but did not stop it
The statements of the two departments are contrary, making the outside world question the "modern order and evening change."
In fact, the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" project is under the responsibility of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. It is understood that before Zhang Zhujun announced the measures yesterday, the Constitutional Bureau was informed in advance that the Department of Health will announce that Guangdong Province will be classified as "medium risk" in accordance with the plan details. There was no objection from the district at that time, but the bureau decided to change the arrangement at night.
Checking the official website of the Guangdong Provincial Government, as of May 22 "National List of High-risk Areas of Epidemic", "Jinlong Huixin Pavilion, Longjin Street, Liwan District, Guangzhou" has been included in the medium-risk areas.
In the past month, Hong Kong included Liaoning Province and Anhui Province as a medium-risk area. This is the first time that the Hong Kong government has narrowed the scope of assessment to the "community" where patients live.
The reporter has inquired with the Constitutional Affairs Bureau whether the suspension mechanism of "Easy Return to Hong Kong" has been changed.
Executive Council member Lam Ching-choi said that Hong Kong has recently shown its ability to "clear zero", but customs clearance with the Mainland still depends on whether the vaccination progress is reaching 70% of the population.
(Profile picture / Zhang Haowei)
Lin Zhengcai: The government has a "self-improvement mechanism"
Executive Council member Lin Ching-choi said that he did not participate in the adjustment of the "Easy-Hong Kong" program arrangement. He is not clear about the reasons for the government's change. It is estimated that the government officials had decided to "push tight rather than loose."
However, he pointed out that "individual cases arise because of the need to become a province and stop the question", and believes that the government has a "self-improvement mechanism."
He said that even if there are two or three cases in a certain area, if the transmission chain is not expanded, the authorities have the ability to "zero out" and can quickly extinguish the epidemic. There is no need to just look at the number of confirmed cases to decide whether to suspend the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" program.
In addition, although there have been local cases in Hong Kong recently, Lam Cheng-choi believes that Hong Kong has the ability to "zero out" as a whole. A related group of Indian businessmen infected with the variant virus did not eventually evolve into a large-scale local outbreak as an example.
He believes that the resumption of customs clearance with the Mainland, in addition to the number of confirmed diagnoses "cleared", the vaccinated population can reach 70% or reach this goal by the end of this year, before the conditions can be negotiated customs clearance, but according to the current progress, the daily vaccination must be doubled The quantity is expected to reach the standard.
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