Perseverance, sacrifice needed to head off new virus outbreak

Health experts who have, over the past several days, warned of a new wave of COVID-19 infections looming on the horizon are not in any way alarmists. After a short lull following Hong Kong society’s successfully overcoming the third wave of the pandemic, the coronavirus flexed its muscles again over the past week, causing a spike in cases of new infections.

The health authority reported 18 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, much higher than the 11 cases reported on Wednesday. Much more worrying is that the cases with unknown sources of infection also increased, along with the emergence of more clusters around town, which has fueled concerns about local outbreaks.

The increase in infections of unknown sources makes it all the more difficult to cut off the infection chains and stop the spread of the virus.

Given the high odds of a new wave of infections during the coming winter season, the health authority should plan ahead and have a comprehensive antipandemic strategy in place that could be implemented immediately at the first sign of a new outbreak.

It is expected that the health authority can do a better job at coming up with a new strategy to cope with a future outbreak after drawing lessons from its experience, including blunders in fighting off the previous waves of infections. It is also expected to handle the situation with great facility.

The latest rebound in confirmed cases came after a number of social-distancing measures were gradually eased in response to the receding of the third wave in the past few weeks. This suggests the general public has an equally crucial role in containing the COVID-19 pandemic — by observing quarantine and social-distancing measures.

With Hong Kong’s economy and employment situation now in the worst shape in more than a decade, the government has to strike a balance between maintaining economic activities and fighting off the pandemic. It might not be able to adopt or maintain for a long time sweeping compulsory social-distancing measures. It is therefore of utmost importance for residents to observe sound social-distancing measures consciously and voluntarily.

Avoiding unnecessary social gatherings and wearing a face mask in public places are the least residents can do. With quarantine and social-distancing fatigue emerging, this is not going to be easy. It demands perseverance and sacrifice on the part of all residents as well as the realization that defeating the pandemic is a matter of life and death for many, especially the vulnerable.