The health chief said Hong Kong was not well prepared so far to launch the “0+0” entry policy.
In a radio broadcast on Sunday, Health Secretary Lo Chung-mao said the current epidemic situation does not allow for the complete lifting of the quarantine, pointing out that a sharply increasing number of arrivals could lead to more imported cases of Covid-19.
He argued that the recently announced “0+3” measure, which will take effect on September 26, was issued considering society’s ability to balance the epidemic and economic activities.
“It is not appropriate for Hong Kong to enter into a ‘0+0’ deal,” he said, as the rate of incoming Covid-infected was three times higher than local residents.
Asked about his previous speech, which slammed “living with Covid”, Lo stressed that his intention was to call on the public to continue to fight the virus.
He added that it was possible to relax social distancing measures.
Lo also asserted that the city’s and China’s cooperation to prevent the disease does not mean that Hong Kong has to comply with the country’s anti-epidemic policies. He said the border could be reopened if Hong Kong did not maintain any risk to the national disease prevention process.
