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Opinion | Not just a shopping mall: as Hong Kong reopens, a time to fix old problems and chart new path
- While Hong Kong did well during the pandemic, there are several unaddressed issues that must be resolved as the city gets back on its feet
- Rather than restore the status quo, leaders must fix the city’s healthcare infrastructure and heavy reliance on outside demand
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Hong Kong government pandemic adviser David Hui recently suggested the mask mandate could be lifted after the winter. Microbiologist Ho Pak-leung went further, saying the remaining Covid-19 restrictions could go now. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also indicated the government aimed to remove all Covid-19 restrictions this year.
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Together with the reopening of the border to the mainland, this all suggests the city is moving quickly towards normality after three years of strict Covid-19 restrictions and isolation from the world. No doubt this is great news for all those waiting to travel abroad and for tourists wanting to visit.
However, while the future looks bright, the Hong Kong government and the people should reflect on the hardships of the pandemic and prepare themselves for the next one. Though Hong Kong defended itself well during Covid-19, there are several issues left unaddressed, from shortfalls in the medical infrastructure to people’s mentality of how to protect themselves from a pandemic.
One of the biggest issues is the medical infrastructure. After the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002, there was a discussion about establishing more capacity for infectious disease control in Hong Kong. However, only one infectious disease centre was set up, at Princess Margaret Hospital.
When Covid-19 was first identified in Hong Kong, the lack of infectious disease treatment centres immediately became a problem. Patients rushed to hospitals but found no appropriate room for them.
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In the first few weeks of the fifth wave, the image of old people laying outside hospital showed up the lack of suitable medical facilities in this advanced economy.
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