HK Not Ready To Drop Covid Rules: Sophia Chan

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said Hong Kong is not ready to drastically relax its infection control measures despite a recent drop in number of new Covid-19 cases, because the government does not want everyone’s efforts in fighting the virus to be in vain.

On Tuesday, the Centre for Health Protection reported seven new coronavirus infections. Six of them were imported while the only local case was linked to a previously confirmed patient.

The imported cases involve people who flew in from Ukraine, Indonesia, Turkey, the Philippines and Pakistan.

Speaking on an RTHK programme a day after the government announced that it will reopen beaches and swimming pools and ease capacity restrictions at cinemas and theme parks before the Easter holiday, Chan described the easing of measures as mere “adjustments” focused on low-risk premises.

“If we allow everything to return to normal, a hundred percent, there will certainly be risks,” she said.

The minister said the government would look at the overall virus situation and the risks of further relaxation before deciding when to reopen more premises, such as bars.

“We understand that it’s not that some industry has not been working hard enough in the past. I understand that industries are doing their best hoping to resume their businesses. This is something the government has to consider as a whole.”

She also urged people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, saying this could help the city fight the pandemic and bring life back to normal.

But speaking on the same programme, infectious disease expert Joseph Tsang from the Medical Association accused the government of not doing enough to promote its mass vaccination programme, adding that it should introduce more incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated.

However, he agreed that the government’s latest easing of infection control measures is appropriate.

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