Since we are dealing with a forever virus it is time to develop a strategy for the long fight.
Experts or leaders representing all sectors of the public should be consulted about ideas and strategy, not just the health professionals.
A Covid council should be set up to advise the chief executive so she does not act on just a phone call from one of the health experts.
First, high-risk groups have to be identified and vaccinated, and we have to conduct surveillance and containment.
Hong Kong, unlike the mainland, cannot afford to be isolated for too long as the livelihoods of its residents will be destroyed if we continue to pursue a zero-Covid policy without bringing more balance to our approach.
This is a pandemic and as long as we are part of the international community, we have to "manage" it since the virus cannot be contained with just border controls.
What is proven is that the wearing of masks and social distancing do help so we should continue with these measures.
We can also learn from places like Taiwan and Vietnam.
The virus is here to stay, but if the government continues to stick with a zero-infection strategy, the economy of Hong Kong is doomed.
People in the food and beverage sector must be feeling suicidal.
They cannot understand why they have to close at 6pm since there is no scientific evidence that the virus is transmitted more easily after 6pm.
At first, they were asked to put up screen buffers, and now they are told to remove them as they interfere with ventilation.
The health experts also want the tables to be placed further apart.
I think such curbs are the death knell for this industry.
You only have to walk along Wyndham Street to see how many restaurants have closed down, and that is only in my area.
Everyone in this trade is suffering, and they need money and trauma counselling.
I wish the government will adopt a more enlightened policy for the long term as the virus is here to stay.
The Airport Authority is also suffering from reduced landing fees, and the airlines will go bust.
Prices for food will increase, and all these show why the zero-Covid policy is unwise.
Unfortunately good ideas and policies are not forthcoming because we are governed by bureaucrats.
Further, I do not see the logic of closing down the ice skating rinks and the parks, depriving people of leisure and exercise.
It is an overreaction on the part of our leader who does not have young children, does not live in a small flat and can only see things from her ivory tower.
I encourage our leader to form a Covid council consisting of those who are more in touch with society like Liberal Party chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, lawmaker and Public Policy Institute executive director Stephen Wong Yuen-shan and University of Hong Kong professor John Burns.
That is to just name a few as we are all in this fight together, but currently decisions are made without taking into account the views of other stakeholders.
An example of a good idea would be to give incentives to those who are vaccinated by allowing them to dine until 9pm but not for those who continue to resist vaccination.
Parks and skating rinks should be allowed to remain open, and traders should be allowed to sell their Lunar New Year flowers in Victoria Park, subject to crowd control, instead of doing so in crowded streets of districts like Mong Kok.
Susan Liang is a lawyer who likes to speak her mind on issues that concern the man on the street
