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Opinion | To make the best use of Ocean Park, turn it into a quarantine centre
- Given that the theme park is far from residential areas, its use as a quarantine site would cause less anger and resentment
- Ultimately, the failing park should be used for residential housing and marine education but, right now, Carrie Lam has a duty to put public health first
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Why you can trust SCMP
As the new coronavirus continues to spread, Hong Kong has been plagued by fear and panic. As of February 6, there had been 22 diagnosed cases – with two more preliminary cases – in the city, while hundreds who were in close contact with the patients or who have been on the mainland have been quarantined. Experts expect the outbreak in the city to widen in the coming weeks.
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Meanwhile, the government has struggled to find quarantine sites. A proposal to use locations near residential areas has drawn protests. However, officials seem to have overlooked a perfect quarantine spot – Ocean Park.
Firstly, the amusement park has been temporarily closed since January 26 because of the outbreak; so there is plenty of idle space.
Secondly, Ocean Park is far from residential areas, and its use as a quarantine site would not cause further resentment. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her government should begin setting up quarantine facilities in the park as soon as possible.
This would truly be the best use of Ocean Park under the circumstances. The theme park is poorly managed and widely known to be a financial black hole. Its current cash flow is as little as HK$400 million, which is definitely not enough to sustain daily operations for long. Worse, it has overrun its budget for a much-delayed water park.
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