Editor’s note: The following is a summary of a written interview with Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu.
Hong Kong is currently facing unprecedented epidemic challenges brought about by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. We have seen a tsunami growth in local infections, and the total number of confirmed cases has exceeded 400,000 since this wave of outbreak struck. The rapid spread of the virus has outgrown the city’s existing capacity in testing, isolation and treatment.
We are now at “war” with COVID-19. We are determined to win this uphill battle. To strengthen Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic power, the HKSAR Government has requested for assistance from the Central People’s Government in strengthening Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic capabilities. On February 12, I attended a meeting in Shenzhen with the relevant Mainland authorities, and I am truly grateful for their swift and positive response in helping resolve Hong Kong’s capacity constraints. On February 16, President Xi Jinping made an important direction, stating that the HKSAR Government should assume the primary responsibility to stabilise the epidemic situation early as the overriding mission at present, and mobilise all available manpower and resources and adopt all necessary measures to safeguard the lives and health of Hong Kong people and the stability of society.
The HKSAR Government is fully committed to this mission. We have been mobilising the whole civil service to fight it. Besides, we have been working with the community so that all of Hong Kong are united and will contribute to this fight. We are seeing donations, voluntary services and alliances being formed to fight this epidemic together.
One important area of assistance from the Mainland is to rapidly and tremendously ramp up our testing capacity. This will help the HKSAR Government to achieve “early identification” of infection cases and their sources, put them under isolation quickly, and treat the needed patients early. The Government is therefore planning at full steam to launch the Compulsory Universal Testing (CUT) scheme which will help pin down infection cases more thoroughly in the community at large.
I totally understand many members of the public are concerned about the proposed CUT scheme. The Government is meticulously planning the details of the CUT scheme. We are listening to opinions and will design it according to the actual situation of Hong Kong. When we have finalised the scheme, we shall announce it with sufficient notice for people to understand it and get prepared. We will ensure that there will be sufficient and steady supplies such as food and necessities. Therefore, there is no need to overreact. People just need to pay attention to the Government’s announcement and information.
The Government is ramping up our anti-epidemic capacities, leveraging both local resources and Mainland support. I sincerely thank Hong Kong’s frontline doctors, nurses and other caring staff for their devotion and dedication toward the important mission of saving lives. Nothing is more important than saving lives. Our priority now is to focus resources on the patients most in need, prevent mild cases from turning severe, and reduce the number of severe cases and deaths. The Hospital Authority had been converting beds in suitable hospitals in its different clusters for admitting confirmed COVID patients. Tin Shui Wai Hospital and North Lantau Hospital are pioneers and would transfer non-COVID in-patients to other hospitals. To ease the stress on the public health system, the Hospital Authority has speeded up the hire of retired and part-time medical helpers to cope with the shortage of medical manpower. Meanwhile, general patients confirmed positive can make medical appointments at 14 designated clinics (17 clinics from March 7) under the Hospital Authority if needed.
We have also been asking private hospitals to assist in the treatment of patients such that the pressure on the public healthcare system could be alleviated. For example, a private hospital run by the Chinese University of Hong Kong is planning to open a certain number of their beds for COVID-19 patients. I shall urge the others to follow suit. We must be united in order to win this “war”.
Given that the overloading situation of the A&E Departments cannot be alleviated within a short period of time, the HKSAR Government, in collaboration with social welfare organisations, has set up treatment and holding centres to specifically receive elderly patients referred by the Hospital Authority.
Besides, the Central Authorities have assigned a Mainland construction team to build a temporary hospital and community isolation facilities in the Lok Ma Chau Loop area. In order to complete the construction of these important facilities as soon as possible, a temporary bridge will be built to transfer construction workers and materials more quickly between the Shenzhen boundary and the fenced-off works site in the Loop area. This will avoid customs and immigration clearance procedure as well as COVID-19 control measures slowing down the construction works significantly. The bridge will be dismantled after the works project is completed. In order to achieve completion urgently, I exercised my authority under the Emergency (Exemption from Statutory Requirements) (COVID-19) Regulation to exempt the construction projects and related personnel and materials within the fenced-off works site from being bound by relevant laws of Hong Kong. The Development Bureau, the Security Bureau and related departments will provide full assistance and facilitation to the construction project, maintaining at the same time the security in the area. I have strong faith in the use of this emergency hospital which will provide 1,000 additional beds in alleviating the heavy burden on our public health system.
The HKSAR Government fully understands the tremendous pressure faced by our doctors and nurses in the current fight against the epidemic, and will work closely with the Hospital Authority and spare no effort in alleviating the stress.
Besides the medical sector, the HKSAR Government is supporting frontline workers who contribute to anti-epidemic efforts, such as cleansing staff, security guards and staff of elderly homes. Apart from giving out rapid antigen test kits and relevant protective items such as masks, the Government will provide a monthly allowance of HK$2,000 for a period of 5 months to each of them through the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant during this wave of the epidemic has outgrown our existing capacity in testing, isolation and treatment and resulted in serious bottlenecks. The Central Government has quickly responded to our requests and provided us with ceaseless support in our fight against the epidemic. The strong support from the Central Government can be seen in at least five major areas:
Experts: In recent weeks, the Central Government has sent three delegations of experts in epidemiology and critical care to visit Hong Kong to offer professional, objective and practical advice to Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic team. Their rich experience and useful advice has helped us improve our strategies and identify priority areas in the fight against the epidemic.
Testing: Two mobile testing vehicles, as well as over 100 testing technicians and nucleic acid testing personnel, were deployed to Hong Kong in phases to enhance Hong Kong’s specimen collection and testing capabilities. Very soon, there will be the supply of further manpower from the Mainland to enable the HKSAR Government to implement the Compulsory Universal Testing scheme across the territory of Hong Kong.
Isolation and treatment: The Central Government has assisted Hong Kong in building an emergency hospital and new community isolation and treatment facilities in nine locations across the territory of Hong Kong. The first of the facilities located in Tsing Yi has already been commissioned to provide 3,900 additional isolation beds. Construction was completed within just seven days, an impressive representation of “China speed”. The second facility in San Tin is expected to be completed next week, providing about 2,800 additional isolation beds. With more isolation facilities in place, more confirmed cases and close contacts can be put under isolation and quarantine as early as possible and avoid further spread of the virus in the community.
Medical supplies: The Central Government has donated a wide range of medical supplies to Hong Kong, including anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines, N95 and KN95 masks, as well as rapid antigen test kits. The HKSAR Government has taken action to ensure that the donated supplies are distributed to those in need, through the assistance of volunteers such as the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link and other local organisations, as well as the Home Affairs Department.
Supply of food and necessities: Cross-boundary land transport of goods has been affected as a result of the rising number of truck drivers tested positive. With the strong support of the Central Government and the full assistance of the governments of Guangdong and Shenzhen, we are rapidly improving the land transport arrangements by setting up centralised cargo transfer points, resuming rail cargo transport, as well as expanding water transport. These measures are crucial to ensuring the stable supply of food and daily necessities from the Mainland to Hong Kong.
I am very grateful to the Central Government for its all-round assistance in the fight against the epidemic. The assistance has strengthened Hong Kong people’s confidence in the fight against the virus. The staunch national support embodies the selfless efforts of professionals, represents the kindness of people in helping one another in the nation, and symbolises the Country’s strength in calling for unified action.
Over the past few years, Hong Kong has encountered unprecedented challenges. Whenever Hong Kong found it difficult to overcome on our own the very huge difficulties which exceeded our capabilities, the Country would provide us with the strongest and the most reliable backing.
First, in 2019, the black violence threatened severely the safety of people and Hong Kong. Large-scale riots took place all over the city. These acts of assault on innocent people, vandalism of public properties, wanton hurling of petrol bombs and serious disruption of traffic are still vivid in our minds. The black-clad rioters significantly outnumbered our Police Force which had been fighting hard to safeguard the city’s security and safety. The prolonged severe violence fuelled by these radicals and extremists as well as foreign interference had put our national security at high risk.
The Central Government acted quickly in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law by upholding the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. The promulgation and implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in 2020 has provided a timely halt to the chaos in the city. The improved electoral system also ensures the full implementation of “patriots administering Hong Kong” and effectively bars anti-China, destabilising forces from entering the political system of the HKSAR through elections. These two consecutive measures by the Central Government have restored peace and safety quickly, and turned Hong Kong from chaos to stability and on the way to prosperity.
This time, the rapid transmission of the Omicron variant has outgrown Hong Kong’s anti-epidemic capacity. I am, therefore, truly grateful for the Central Government’s strong support in our uphill battle against the fifth wave. Only a few days after we requested for assistance from the Central Government in mid-February, our requests were promptly met with a positive response. The Central Government has immediately mobilised resources from provinces and cities all across the Country, and deployed them quickly and abundantly to Hong Kong. This demonstrates our strong national power, and the strengths of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. It also symbolises that the Country always cares about and backs up Hong Kong. The Country will always listen and respond to Hong Kong’s requests.
The Central Government has always shown its full commitment, and stayed truly to implementing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. The HKSAR Government will make good use of the Country’s support and mobilise the community’s efforts to win the battle against the virus and stabilise the epidemic as soon as possible.
To safeguard the lives and health of Hong Kong people, the HKSAR Government has been making all-out efforts to fight the epidemic, and various sectors of the community have also been working in concert. The Government has mobilised all available manpower and resources within and outside the Government to fight the epidemic together.
In recent days, we have seen many caring and selfless acts in the community. Groups of volunteers, such as the Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link and other local organisations, have mobilised themselves to distribute anti-epidemic medical supplies such as masks, Chinese medicines and rapid antigen tests kits to those in need. We have also seen enterprises and property developers’ acts of social responsibility in supporting the fight against the epidemic — from donating heaters to warm up the waiting areas outside hospitals, donating hospital beds to new community isolation facilities, donating masks and rapid antigen test kits to those in need, and to providing vacant pieces of lands for the construction of isolation facilities. These acts of kindness fully illustrate that the Hong Kong community is highly united in the fight against the epidemic.
The Country is always our strongest and most reliable backer. A bright future is awaiting us as long as we leverage the Central Government’s policies in support of the HKSAR. After this battle against the virus, the Government will continue to boost the competitiveness of Hong Kong and fully integrate into the overall development of our Country by capitalising on the advantages of “One Country, Two Systems”, as well as the opportunities brought about by the National 14th Five-year Plan and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We will also continue to strengthen Hong Kong’s status as an international metropolis, actively explore overseas opportunities and connect with the world, thereby consolidating Hong Kong’s function as a global gateway and enhancing its role as an international city.
The author is chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.