The city’s new health secretary has pledged to use scientific, effective and precise measures to achieve maximum results. For Hong Kong, the best measure would be to map a science-based exit path from the pandemic, as befits a global financial centre.
It is encouraging that the new chief executive is considering options to reopen our borders. This is critical to maintaining Hong Kong’s multiple roles as an international financial centre, aviation hub and a super-connector.
In the US, where
Covid-19 has killed more than 1 million people, the discord between then president
Donald Trump and public health scientist Anthony Fauci demonstrated that putting politics ahead of science costs lives.
Hong Kong is lucky to have many world-class public health academics. Even if they don’t unanimously agree on any public health measure or strategy, their majority view should form the basis for the government’s decisions. Thus, the new health secretary’s pledge to use scientific, effective and precise measures to achieve maximum results at minimum cost is welcome.