Shenzhen Lockdown Won't Affect Supplies To Us: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Monday that she’s been assured by authorities in Shenzhen that supplies to Hong Kong won’t be affected even though the mainland city is being locked down for mass testing after a surge in Covid-19 cases there.

At a daily press briefing, Lam said cross-border truck drivers will pick up and unload goods at centralised transfer yards set up at border checkpoints.

She also said she believes the Shenzhen government will be able to handle its outbreak under the leadership of the central government.

When asked why Hong Kong is unable to put together a universal testing exercise in a few days the way Shenzhen does, the CE said people should not make such comparisons, noting differences in the two cities’ systems, their resources and their ability to mobilise manpower.

“For us to learn from Shenzhen and conduct three universal tests in a few days, I’m afraid we are not yet able to do so,” she said.

Lam was also asked whether the government will consider setting up an inquiry to look into the fatality rate in this wave of outbreak – which is higher than what other major cities like London, New York and Singapore had experienced in the past two years.

In response, the CE said the government had put in all necessary resources and effort to keep the city safe in the past two years until the highly transmissible Omicron variant hit the territory.

She said she hoped authorities will in future be able to tackle problems that surfaced during this outbreak, such as the operation of elderly homes and collaboration between medical and social workers, to prepare Hong Kong for another health crisis in the future.

"The most saddening part of it is vaccination. We have spent over one year to promote, encourage and coerce people to take the jab. But unfortunately, the entire society, partly because of the low infection rate in the last year or so, and partly because of anxiety, worries and so on, we have not achieved this high rate of vaccination, especially among the elderly," she said.

"I would hope that the opportunity will come for us to review the existing practices to enhance the safety of the people of Hong Kong.”

Meanwhile, Lam said the government has no plan yet to further tighten social-distancing measures because it has to take into account people’s mental well-being and their acceptance.