The city owes its successful containment of the virus to peoples’ cooperation and compliance.
Hong Kong’s second wave of COVID-19 that spiked in February has now been contained, as no local transmission has been recorded in more than two weeks.
Since April 20, Hong Kong recorded only 15 new cases, all of which were of people with travel history, bringing the city’s total to 1,041 cases and four deaths. Moreover, 900 patients have recovered.
“I do feel very strongly, and also echoed by many people in society, that the time for some relaxation, for some lifting of the restrictions that we put on this social contact has come,” said Chief Executive Carrie Lam, after announcing the loosening of some restrictions on May 5.
Many attribute this containment to the government’s quick action by barring non-residents to enter the city, disallowing travelers from transiting through airports, and implementing quarantine and testing measures in entry points all over the city.
Even those under home quarantine had to wear electronic bracelets so their locations can be tracked. Despite many seeing these measures as drastic, the city actually never ordered an official lockdown, thus owing this containment to peoples’ cooperation and compliance.
Nonetheless, people in Hong Kong are asked to be cautious. “I must stress that this epidemic may come back. As the WHO (World Health Organization) said not long ago … we must remain vigilant,” Lam said.
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