Clear messages needed by nervous public and businesses, says Zeman

The community needs "clear" and "once and for all" messages to put them at ease and businesses also need clarity to make decisions, businessman Allan Zeman told Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

The father of Lan Kwai Fong wrote a letter to Lam and said there have been so many conflicting messages over the past few weeks in Hong Kong about the virus from experts which left the public being very confused and nervous, citing the recent panic buying.

Speaking to The Standard: he said: "We need clarity on what's the way forward. If the experts do feel like it would peak at mid-March then let the government say it loudly and send the message so that people can relax."

He also said that the public need words of encouragement from authorities because they are scared about their livelihood and future and feel they are getting punished for being infected.

Sharing his proposal on the possible lockdown, Zeman said authorities should impose a "humane" lockdown lasting around four days each and allowing people to go free once they receive negative results.

Authorities can test the city's 7.5 million population in about four days if test capacities can be pumped up to millions per day.

The 72-year-old said a lockdown should be flexible, not too long and in a way that people should still be able to move around if they tested negative. Those who tested positive should either be taken to the government's quarantine facilities or undergo self-isolation at home.

"If your house is big enough then you can self-isolate and once you get better and tested negative, then you're fine," he said. "But if you live in a small house like subdivided flats with other people, then you will need to be taken to the government's facilities to be isolated."

But he said those waiting for the testing results should stay at home, similar to the current arrangement.

He said a lockdown is very serious, given Hong Kong's housing condition, as many people live in subdivided flats.

"If you lock them up long enough, even if they don't die from Covid, they will die from mental breakdown," he said.

Zeman issued a post on Facebook yesterday, telling Hongkongers he is confident that in the next weeks, Omicron cases will hit their peak and then start to decrease rapidly, which he said has "happened everywhere" in the world.

"I know everyone in Hong Kong is facing a very difficult time," he wrote.

"We are potentially facing a lockdown but hopefully it won't be too long and too painful. I know if we all pull together, both rich and poor, we can defeat this and wake up from this nightmare to a normal life."

He said it also pains him to see many people leaving Hong Kong.

"I urge everyone to be positive, stay strong and stay healthy. Hong Kong will always survive," he wrote.

carine.chow@singtaonewscorp.com