Survey: 76 Percent Respondents Agree HK COVID-19 Policies Place Hefty Burden on Economy and Society

A day after John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive (CE) of Hong Kong, stated that the government would not cancel the COVID-19 vaccine pass and mask mandates, the Democratic Party published the results of a survey on citizens’ opinions.

The survey showed that over 75 percent of the public do not agree that the current epidemic is a “public health emergency.”

Seventy-six percent of the respondents think that the current pandemic prevention requirements have made Hong Kong pay too high a cost both socially and economically.

Commentators point out that as a result of the government “moving the goalposts,” Hong Kong people have been disregarding the pandemic rules and that the LeaveHomeSafe app and the Vaccine Pass are not unbreakable.

Reluctant to Relax the Rules

Lee said that as the epidemic is still active, he would not cancel the “yellow code,” which is given to incoming international travelers and prevents them from entering premises that require a “vaccine pass,” adding that the “red and yellow codes” are the government’s risk management tools. When asked if there was room to lift the mask mandate in more public places, Lee responded, “The masks will stay on.”

Lee added: experts said masks were very important in controlling the spread of the disease, the coronavirus could mutate from time to time, and the winter flu season would increase the risk of COVID -19 infection.

Changes Needed to Save Hong Kong Tourism

From Oct. 24 to Nov. 5, 2022, the Democratic Party interviewed 853 respondents in a telephone survey regarding the government’s pandemic prevention policy.

Results showed that over 76 percent of respondents felt that the current pandemic measures had cost Hong Kong society and the economy an inordinately hefty price. Of the 76 percent, 40.7 percent strongly agreed with the statement.

Lo Kin-hei, a chairperson of the Democratic Party, said the pace of loosening the pandemic measures in Hong Kong had been much slower than in its major competitors in Asia. Lo said the delay had seriously impacted citizens’ daily life and Hong Kong’s economy.

Various medical experts previously indicated that they saw almost no difference in “0+3” and “0+0” pandemic measures. Hence, they urged the authorities to implement “0+0″ as soon as possible to save Hong Kong’s tourism industry.

The “0+3” policy means that visitors to Hong Kong do not need to be quarantined at hotels, but they are not allowed to enter designated places such as restaurants and bars for three days after their arrival.

Preferential Treatment for Foreign Inbound Travellers

There have been multiple examples of the Yellow Code standards for inbound tourists being relaxed. While the government implemented 0+3 for travel entry, it also proposed “group entry and exit,” allowing tour groups with yellow codes to enter designated tourist attractions and separated areas in specific eateries without the three-day waiting period. When Hong Kong Legal Week took place recently, 27 legal experts and scholars traveled to Hong Kong; they were all granted temporary vaccine passes and blue codes on the LeaveHomeSafe app upon arrival.

However, returning Hong Kong residents must follow the “0+3” rules.

HKGov’s Multiple Standards for Hongkongers, Visitors, and Group Tours

Gary Tsang Chi-ho, media professional and former RTHK radio host, said the Hong Kong government wanted to show the public that they still fear the coronavirus. Hence the reluctance to enforce the “0+0” policy.

However, Tsang said that since the government wants to show the world that ‘Hong Kong is open again, it uses exemptions as a gimmick, “The government wants to show the world there is no restriction in Hong Kong. For instance, the guests who attended the finance investors summit had special catering arrangements, or the guests at Hong Kong Legal Week received free blue code passes.” Tsang questioned if the coronavirus would infect someone depending on their occupation.

The online host criticized the “group entry and exit” plan, which had turned Hong Kong residents into second-class citizens. Tsang questioned why the policy would disallow people with a yellow code to eat in separate areas of designated restaurants.

He said that Hong Kong residents were self-disciplined in preventing the coronavirus. “But why can’t they go to Disneyland like tourists? Why aren’t they allowed in eateries?”

Fed Up With COVID-19 Restrictions

According to Tsang, by changing the pandemic policies’ criteria for those who visit Hong Kong but not for its citizens, the government is playing by a double standard.

He said HKGov’s “tourists come first” mentality ignores the needs of Hongkongers, even if they only want equal treatment.

‘Dynamic Zero-Covid’ Policy

Tsang said it would be impossible for the government to implement exemptions for all. He said, “as soon as it implements an exemption, it would show that Hong Kong is not following Beijing’s ‘Dynamic Zero-Covid’ Policy and chooses to coexist with Covid-19.”

To avoid such a situation, Tsang said Hong Kong “moved the goalpost,” which makes Hong Kong residents disregard the pandemic policy even further.

Li Wei-ling, a radio host and a senior media professional, commented on her online program, “LeaveHomeSafe app and Vaccine Pass are not unbreakable, legally.”

Li cited Judge Russell Adam Coleman, who recently handled a judicial review of a civilian application requesting the government to withdraw the pandemic prevention measures. The High Court judge stated that even though the applicant had failed to raise reasonable and justifiable grounds to cancel the current pandemic measures, there was room for argument.

Coleman, a judge of the Court of First Instance, pointed out that the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Diseases Law, Chapter 599, aimed to prevent, counter, mitigate public health emergencies, and to protect public health.

The judge said, “However, if the pandemic measures can only prevent ‘public health emergencies’ but fail to protect the public, and even harm public health, it is arguable that the measure is unlawful.”

Li continued to say that tourism, retail, catering, and other industries have been “screaming for help” and pleaded, “Can the Hong Kong government self-reflect after hearing the judge’s verdict? Can the government look at what it is doing or whether it is in line with the law?”