‘HK right to follow Beijing on mainland risk levels’

Leading microbiologist Ho Pak-leung has expressed support for the government’s move to adopt Beijing’s Covid-19 risk assessments for mainland cities.

Over the weekend the SAR government reversed its decision to stop Hongkongers returning to the territory from Guangdong without undergoing quarantine, after the province confirmed an infection in Guangzhou.

Following criticism from former chief executive CY Leung, the restriction was later applied only to one district of Guangzhou.

The SAR government says it is now adopting risk assessments by the mainland’s National Health Commission.

Ho said this is a good move, because Hong Kong simply doesn’t have enough information to make timely decisions on its own.

“We have to ask whether Hong Kong is able to get the whole picture of the risk levels posed by a particular case [on the mainland],” he said on an RTHK programme on Tuesday.

“Scientifically, for Hong Kong to adopt the National Health Commission’s risk assessment, and for it to suspend Return2hk for medium-risk places, is basically better than for Hong Kong to make a decision itself,” said Ho.

“Because Hong Kong can’t possibly learn about details of any particular cases within 24 hours,” he added.

He said he doesn’t think the change will reduce the SAR’s flexibility in terms of anti-epidemic control.

“The fact is, since last year, even for relatively large clusters like the one in a Beijing market – none of it spread to Hong Kong. On the other hand, a considerable number of cases from Hong Kong have gone to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.”