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Opinion | Like Canada, to contain the coronavirus, Hong Kong must do more to help working people
- Canada’s coronavirus aid package includes subsidies for small business employers and benefits for workers affected by the outbreak. In Hong Kong, the government has done little to make regular people feel secure about staying at home
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The coronavirus pandemic has sickened almost a million people around the world, and caused over 47,000 deaths.
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Hong Kong and Macau, both adjacent to mainland China, were among the first cities hit by the epidemic. Macau has done a remarkable job of containing the virus, reporting only 41 confirmed cases over the past months. In contrast, Hong Kong has recorded at least 766 cases, with imported infections rising as people flock back from overseas countries.
The Hong Kong government is to blame for this second wave of cases. In late February, the virus was still under control, thanks to the collective effort of the general public. Hongkongers should be given credit for their awareness of personal hygiene and voluntary use of masks. Yet, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor refused to take extra precautions such as shutting borders and imposing stricter containment measures.
In March, as many Hongkongers flew back, some carrying the virus from foreign hot zones, confirmed cases soared by six times, to 715. Unfortunately, the Western world had taken Covid-19 lightly, when Asia was panicking.
Among Western countries, Canada is managing the situation relatively well, with some 9,500 cases and 109 deaths. The Canadian government has been spurred into action since the prime minister’s wife tested positive for the disease on March 12.
It has passed a coronavirus aid package, which includes C$52 billion (US$36 billion) in direct support to families and businesses, and C$55 billion in additional aid through tax deferrals.
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