Hong Kong citizens must have never imagined that the "land-port customs clearance" is already in sight, but what is ushered in is the imminent fifth wave of the new crown virus epidemic, and further tightening of epidemic prevention measures that require "banning dinner in the evening market."
This turned around, the source of the incident was exempted from the mandatory centralized quarantine and brought the Omicron variant virus to Cathay Pacific crew members. During the home isolation period, some people violated the rules and exceptions to dinner parties, and some infected their family members. As a result, it caused an outbreak in the community. At least 10 people have been affected. Infect.
The SAR government must have never expected it. It was only recently (January 3) that it clarified that there was no plan to close customs and ban dine-in, and it was actually going to "knock itself down" two days later.
When meeting with reporters for two consecutive days, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that he had severely reprimanded Cathay Pacific executives for the incident, but avoided talking about the responsibilities of officials of the Transportation and Housing Bureau and the Food and Health Bureau who did not try to plug the loopholes in epidemic prevention.
However, if "reprimand" is useful, society does not need "laws" to maintain order; however, the SAR government has never made good use of the system to prepare for "safety", let alone abide by the system and assume the responsibility of "nothing is lost". The adoption of a “self-discipline” quarantine policy that has been passed and passed has led to an endless loop of the epidemic.
Cathay Pacific crew members with Omicron variant virus exempted from mandatory centralized quarantine. During the home quarantine period, some people violated the rules and exceptions to dinner parties, and some infected family members who lived with them, which resulted in an outbreak in the community.
(Data Picture/Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, overly loose quarantine measures have led to multiple community outbreaks. It has also led to the mainland authorities’ doubts about Hong Kong’s ability to control and control, and the delayed reluctance to open the quarantine-free entry policy. This has caused Hong Kong’s tourism-supported catering and retail industries to plummet. The local consumption alone is struggling to support it.
After the end of the new year, many restaurants, theaters, and beauty salons are waiting for the Lunar New Year schedule to "return their breath", but the "God of Destiny" does not seem to care for them, but let them be a loophole in the Hong Kong government's quarantine. Pay the bill."
Recall that in late July 2020, the overseas epidemic was out of control. In the United States alone, more than 50,000 people have been diagnosed every day. However, the SAR government did not require people arriving from overseas to undergo centralized quarantine, and even allowed crew members and crew members to be exempted from virus testing. , Free access to the community, which detonated the third wave of the epidemic in Hong Kong-the SAR government was at a loss for the first time to ban dine-in restaurants in restaurants. Many restaurants were either closed early or temporarily closed, resulting in a large number of catering practitioners forced to pay 20% off food. Take unpaid leave.
Until early August 2020, the third wave of the epidemic has gradually slowed down. Although the SAR government has finally adopted centralized quarantine measures for people arriving from overseas, it has not implemented "closed-loop" management, but allowed relatives and friends of quarantine personnel to visit. As a result, in mid-November, the fourth wave of epidemics with hundreds of confirmed cases a day was triggered. The resources of the quarantine center were in short supply. There were many tragedies of "waiting for isolation and waiting until death". There were also farce of confirmed patients escaping from the ward without authorization during the quarantine of the hospital. .
In response to the epidemic, the SAR government once again introduced tightening measures such as banning dine-in dinners in the evening market and suspending entertainment venues. They will slowly open up after the Lunar New Year. During this period, the residents of Hong Kong have complained. They also ordered a large number of food ingredients and waited for the New Year’s schedule to "return." The restaurant is even more complaining.
At that time, it was not because the people of Hong Kong were dissatisfied, and even the central government was very disappointed.
The WeChat public account "Jinghaihou" opened by a mainland official media reporter based in Hong Kong published the article ""Popular Discontent" Is Boiling" in early December of the same year, which severely criticized the special zone that had accumulated enough training and experience in anti-epidemic response. The government neither prepares for "failure", nor does it assume the responsibility of "nothing for nothing." It will only make their busyness even more obscure. "In other words, people cannot see from their anti-epidemic actions. When it comes to the two words of soul and sobriety, (and) it is insensitive tension, the busyness of emptiness and the snake, and the state of disorder and powerlessness."
He also borrowed from the just-concluded Central Economic Work Conference to summarize the laws and understandings of severe economic challenges, and asked the Hong Kong government four major questions: Does it have the ability to judge, make decisions, and act?
Do you have knowledge, confidence and confidence in the optimal path?
What is the fundamental guarantee for the fight against the epidemic?
Are you creative and willing to change?
——The answer is quite obvious.
It is undeniable that after this epidemic, the SAR government has finally made some progress and breakthroughs. Finally, starting from January 23, 2021, a limited "area detection" and "building detection" actions have been taken to speed up the investigation of infected cases and high-risk groups. Make the epidemic under control.
However, whenever the epidemic slows down, the SAR government seems to relax its vigilance and fail to further improve the quarantine loopholes that have repeatedly exploded community transmission.
Although in recent months, the Hong Kong government has indeed tightened the most worrying exemption policy for mainland authorities to a certain extent for the purpose of "dry port clearance," but it still adopts a very loose self-discipline strategy for crew members and others. Every time violations occur, the Hong Kong government has tightened the exemption policy. Tighten up point by point, but it is never necessary for them to accept the centralized quarantine of "closed-loop management", or even allow the "passenger plane to go, cargo plane to return" quarantine loopholes to trigger the fifth wave of the epidemic.
When Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor met with reporters before attending the executive meeting on Tuesday, she said that she had severely reprimanded the top officials of Cathay Pacific, but at this stage there might not be a legal basis to pursue accountability, and it would take time to re-examine. When she met with reporters the next day, her tone changed a bit and said with certainty. Will review the legal basis to follow up the incident seriously, but avoid talking about the responsibility of officials of the Transportation and Housing Bureau and the Food and Health Bureau who have not tried to plug the loopholes in epidemic prevention.
However, if "reprimand" is useful, what else does society need laws and systems to do?
And if the "executive-led" SAR government can make good use of the system to prepare for "faultless", and it can abide by the system and assume the responsibility of "nothing is lost" instead of adopting a "self-discipline" quarantine policy that has been passed and passed, how can Hong Kong Will you fall into the cycle of endless outbreaks of the epidemic?
