[Commentary] At the beginning of 2020, the Lunar New Year is approaching, but the streets of Hong Kong are uncharacteristically a bit deserted, and the city under the dark storm is hazy. At this time, a sudden news made the social atmosphere more tense.
[Subtitle] On January 21, 2020, a visitor from Wuhan to Hong Kong entered Hong Kong with fever and was subsequently diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia.
[Same period] (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Press Conference on January 22)
Chen Zhaoshi, Secretary of the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government
The preliminary result was positive.
[Commentary] This is the first confirmed case of new coronary pneumonia in Hong Kong. In fact, long before this, Hong Kong, which has experienced the SARS epidemic, has launched the epidemic prevention and control work for the first time, and started the "severe" contingency level. Various entry and exit ports have begun to strengthen sanitation and hygiene and health monitoring. Because of this, this patient was found in time when entering the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station. On January 25, the SAR Government raised the contingency level to the highest level of "emergency", and the virus sniper war officially started.
【Concurrent period】
(The Hong Kong SAR Government held an anti-epidemic press conference on January 25)
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
We will suspend flights and high-speed rail between Wuhan and Hubei indefinitely.
(January 28 Hong Kong SAR Government Press Conference on Anti-epidemic)
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The entire Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail and Hung Hom inter-city through train services will be suspended, and the number of flights from the mainland to Hong Kong will be cut in half.
[Commentary] The sudden outbreak has disrupted the rhythm of the whole society. Fighting the epidemic has become the common aspiration of the whole society. Just at the critical juncture of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, various social groups and the people of Hong Kong to fight the epidemic together, a group of people with ulterior motives began to incite “medical strikes” and spread rumors such as “supply cut off”, masks, disinfectants and other epidemic preventions. The prices of materials have skyrocketed, and uneasiness and tension have spread among the citizens.
[Same period] Hong Kong citizens
Now that the masks are so tense, we old people can’t wait in line when they come out. Now we dare not go out without masks.
[Explanation] In addition to the tight supply of epidemic prevention materials, quarantine and isolation work has become another problem in Hong Kong. The initial carrying capacity of the three quarantine centers is becoming increasingly insufficient. At this time, the outbreak of the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" anchored in Yokohama, Japan, attracted much attention. The situation of the 364 Hong Kong people on the trapped ship instantly affected everyone's heart, adding a fire to the already anxious situation.
[Same period] Chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association Infectious Disease Advisory Committee Liang Zichao
The relatively small space inside the cruise liner leads to poor ventilation. If there is an infected person, whether it is through the droplets, the pollution of the droplets, or even the aerosol (transmission), the situation is more serious.
[Commentary] In late February, the Special Administrative Region Government sent three charter flights to take Hong Kong people home. They stayed in the newly opened Fotan Junyang Village Quarantine Center for 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Nine confirmed persons were found in time, and the large-scale local outbreak caused by the original social concerns did not appear. In addition, the epidemic situation in the mainland was basically controlled at this time, and the pressure of virus imports was reduced. This battle against epidemic has achieved a staged victory. However, the situation was quickly broken.
【Concurrent period】
(March 20, Hong Kong SAR Government epidemic situation briefing)
Zhang Zhujun, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR Government
As of 4 o'clock this afternoon, we confirmed 48 cases.
(March 27, Hong Kong SAR Government Epidemic Situation Briefing)
Zhang Zhujun, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR Government
Today, 65 cases of new coronavirus were diagnosed, 41 of which had travel records.
[Same period] Chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association Infectious Disease Advisory Committee Liang Zichao
Many people began to travel in early March. At that time, many people suspected that the epidemic in Europe and America had been out of control at this stage, resulting in a large number of returnees returning during this period of March, causing (virus) spread in the community.
[Commentary] The epidemic in Hong Kong reached its peak in late March. The SAR Government issued a red tourism warning to all overseas countries and regions, and introduced stricter quarantine measures at the airport. From March to April, the government shut down entertainment venues such as fitness centers, game console centers, bars, etc., and announced that more than 4 people are prohibited from group gathering in public places. On April 11, the Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government reported that the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong had increased to 1,000, but under effective prevention and control measures, the number of newly diagnosed cases has shown a downward trend.
[Same period] Chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association Infectious Disease Advisory Committee Liang Zichao
As far as this (epidemic situation) is concerned, because Hong Kong has taken anti-epidemic measures early, so far we have no so-called super-transmission events in the high-risk group. This is the most important (cause). In Hong Kong, the epidemic situation is caused by the overall mortality rate, local cases, and the low mortality rate.
[Commentary] In June, Hong Kong gradually relaxed its epidemic prevention measures. Schools have resumed classes in stages, and public services and economic activities have gradually returned to normal. Under the epidemic situation, the two rounds of anti-epidemic and anti-epidemic funds launched by the SAR Government and the bail-out measures in the New Year’s Budget involved a total of about 290 billion Hong Kong dollars. Send charcoal in the snow. Lan Kwai Fong became lively again, and the children's cheers and laughter sounded again in Victoria Park, rejuvenating the whole city.
Reporter Li Waner and Chen Haonan from Hong Kong
Editor in charge: [Song Fangcan]