No need for zero infections to reopen border, Lam says

Zero new daily infections is not a prerequisite for reopening the border with the mainland, but more people getting vaccinated will definitely help.

That was the message yesterday of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. While authorities want to achieve zero rate, she told a mainland television station, it is practically impossible to do so "as we cannot prevent imported cases."

She added: "No one ever said Hong Kong would only reopen its borders after there are zero new daily infections, but I think we should wait for a bit longer. People will be allowed to cross the border once the pandemic is under control."

Hong Kong has not seen the number of cases drop to single digits for several consecutive days since the fourth wave of infections began to hit late in November. Lam also recalled that she had talked with Guangdong authorities about reopening the border in November, but zero cases as a prerequisite was not discussed.

"I think if Hong Kong can control the pandemic, combined with our huge testing ability and the coverage of the jabs - these are all factors beneficial to the reopening of borders," she said. "The higher the vaccination coverage rate the safer society will be and other [places] will be more willing to open up their borders to Hongkongers."

Hong Kong also has the strictest policies to control the import of cases as everyone entering the city has to test negative before being allowed to undergo a 21-day quarantine, Lam said.

"If Hong Kong had imposed these stringent policies a bit earlier the number of local infections might have fallen earlier," she admitted, saying there were still "invisible spreaders" in the community.

All Hong Kong border control points were closed by March last year except at the airport, Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

On claims that authorities have not been tough enough, Lam said: "If we had halted everything from the beginning, including imposing a curfew and closing the airport and all borders, I think Hong Kong would not be able to function today."

Meanwhile, bar operators once again called to be allowed to resume operations, warning they may file a judicial review against the closure measures.

Chin Chun-wing, vice president of the Hong Kong Bar and Club Association, noted "around 300 bars have closed since the outbreak of Covid-19, which is around 20 percent of the number of bars in Hong Kong."

And by the time the pandemic is beaten, he warned, the entire bar sector could have gone.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com