Regina Ip

Opinion | To beat Covid-19, Hong Kong must execute ‘dynamic zero infection’ strategy as intended

Even with mainland support, Hong Kong will struggle to bring coronavirus infections under control if it takes a half-hearted approach to “dynamic zero-Covid”

Reluctance to pursue more stringent measures for fear of backlash will only prolong the outbreak and put many more vulnerable lives at risk

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A pedestrian passes barrier tape cordoning off a gym facility, closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, at the Kwun Tong Promenade in Hong Kong on March 3. Officials in the city must have the courage to do what it takes to bring the virus under control. Photo: Bloomberg

Regina Ip

Published: 8:30am, 6 Mar 2022

The highly infectious Omicron was first discovered in South Africa in late 2021 and declared a “virus of concern” by the World Health Organization on November 25. Its spread to other parts of the world, including Hong Kong, was not unanticipated. But the exponential rate at which it has exploded nevertheless caught our city off guard.

With a total of more than 350,000 positive cases logged and 1,366 deaths as of March 3, the severity of the situation in Hong Kong has surpassed that of Wuhan and indeed any developed country.

Hong Kong’s fall from grace ignited debates over whether the city’s “blind adherence” to China’s “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy is to blame.

For months, questions have been raised as to why Hong Kong cannot “live with Covid” like its rival city Singapore, and lift its harsh social distancing restrictions and curbs on international travel. As experience in many parts of the world shows, achieving zero infection is impossible. At the rate Covid-19 is spreading, by the end of April Hong Kong may be on the way to achieving herd immunity, they say. So why not lift all curbs and wait for the virus to peter out?

This argument ignores the tremendous human price our city will have to pay in terms of deaths of the infirm, the old and small children. “Collateral” deaths will arise among uninfected people who could not get treatment in time because of the collapse of the health care system.

For weeks, state media have run reports explaining that the “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy does not mean pursuing zero infections. But perhaps in the minds of Hong Kong’s “living with Covid” advocates, commentaries by faceless writers in state media are not to be taken seriously. But we do now have a full-throated explanation by a top public health official from mainland China, as reported by the Post.