Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
The third wave of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Hong Kong has reached the mark of 3397 confirmed covid cases on 2 August 2020. Ming Pao reported that on 1 August 2020, seven new deaths from covid were recorded. The cumulative number of fatalities from covid is 34 as of 2 August 2020 but the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has only officially recorded 33 deaths on 2 August 2020. Hence, CHP under-reporting covid cases is obvious. Meanwhile, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor admitted that crew members that were exempted from quarantine during changes in shifts were "loopholes" that caused the third wave.
Some members of the Hong Kong Congress criticized Carrie Lam, chairperson of the Anti-epidemic Steering Committee and Command Center. They said Carrie Lam must bear the blame for the third wave of the Hong Kong epidemic and need to apologize to the dead, the patients and their families. The Hong Kong government should follow the example of the 2003 SARS Trust Fund established by the government to compensate the dead. The medical experts urge Carrie Lam to be accountable for the epidemic and step down. Other proposition members think that the Hong Kong Government has done their best and it is meaningless to pursue the matter. Members of the Hong Kong opposition parties have yet to comment whether Carrie Lam must step down because of her guilt and lack of accountability over the third wave and conduct emergency election.
There were no local cases in Hong Kong from 15 June 2020 and remained so for 20 days. The local cases reappeared on 5 July 2020 and the "Bin Kee Group" cluster was revealed, which has not been controlled so far. Four government anti-epidemic expert consultants have successively proposed that the third wave originated from crew exempted from quarantine. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor explained to Commercial TV reporter of Hong Kong on 1 August 2020 that if all people entering Hong Kong are quarantined for 14 days, it will affect Hong Kong a lot. For example, the supply of food will be interrupted. Hence, allowing crew members to change shifts in Hong Kong without quarantine is out of humanitarian reason. As a requirement for "sealed shifts", that is, the ship must be boarded as soon as the plane arrives at the port and the plane must boarded as soon as the crew disembarks from the ship. However, "there is a loophole in execution". Some seafarers walked into the communities, but she described in each event community outbreaks are "not a single cause."
Government: The exemption is proposed by the Transportation and Housing Bureau, and the Food and Health Bureau assesses the risk
The Hong Kong government said earlier that the quarantine exemption arrangements were expanded in June to include the shift of crew members of cargo ships not handling cargo handling in the port. The government spokesperson replied that the exemption was proposed by the Transport and Housing Bureau in accordance with policy and operational needs, while the Food and Health Bureau was responsible for risk assessment and then suggested to the Chief Secretary for Administration that the Chief Secretary approved the exemption after considering the conditions of the cargo ship’s crew. However, the government did not respond to relevant law enforcement figures.
The Citizen Party Guo Jiaqi said that the third wave of quarantine exemption loopholes was caused by the wrong decision of the Hong Kong government, and asked, "Do these elders (the third wave of dead) themselves need to die?" Guo continued, saying that it is still impossible to know who issued the quarantine exemption decision. However, as Chairman of the Anti-epidemic Steering Committee and Command Center, Carrie Lam is to be blamed for the mistakes. In addition to apologizing to the casualties and their families, the government should establish a fund like the SARS Trust Fund in 2003 to compensate the deceased. This is an admission of errors and the attitude of responsibility, "this is an official's basic response to the suffering person. If there is no apology, no compensation, the government is full of shame and evil."
Yu Huiming, Chairman of the Staff Front of the Hospital Authority, criticized that if the source is not blocked, Hong Kong will have a large-scale outbreak. The first wave was "lucky" without a lock down but the quarantine loophole had not been blocked earlier to prevent the inflow of SARS-CoV-2, triggering the third wave. He said, "More than 20 deaths were caused by the government's inaction, and all should be borne by Carrie Lam.. Not only did the Hong Kong government team of Carrie Lam have to apologize to the people of Hong Kong, this team handled so badly, the accountability team headed by Lam should step down."
Jiang Liyun questioned the primary election for the outbreak of the epidemic
Guo Jiaqi refutes that there is no confirmed case related
The chairperson of the Legislative Council Health Affairs Committee Jiang Liyun believes that the government has already begun to take action to deal with the epidemic in December last year and has done its utmost to prevent quarantine of the crew. "Something has happened" like an "aftermath." "The past is under review by the government. We should look forward to how to solve problems and apply a positive attitude." She also questioned whether the outbreak after the July 1 parade is related to the pandemic after the primary election, but Guo Jiaqi argued that there are no confirmed caes as a result of the parade or the primary election so far.
"Very sorry" on the first day of the ban
Was criticized to change the order in the evening
In addition, the all-day ban on in-dining was relaxed after one day, and Carrie Lam admitted that there was not a good balance among consideration of public health, the impact on the economy, the enterprises and the needs of the public. As a result, there was a full-day ban on in-dining on the first day of 29 July. The Hong Kong government team are very embarrassed as a result. She said, "We have decided to adjust the policy in the morning of 30 July. I hope everyone understands that we cannot fully grasp the effect of the policy, and there may be omissions... We have the spirit to improve." She believes that the government is "satisfied with good things" but was criticized for "changing orders at night" and called on all sectors to put aside their differences.
Cannot guarantee safe election in 2021
Regarding the postponement of the Legislative Council election to 5 September 2021, Carrie Lam believes that "elections and voting can be done a year later, but the spread of the epidemic that will cause more infections, serious illnesses, and deaths of the elderly is unacceptable." She is not sure that a safe election will be held in 2021.
As at 2 August 2020 at 9 am, 
Image courtesy : Centre for Health Protection, Hong Kong
Source : Ming Pao
Latest Situation of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Hong Kong, https://chp-dashboard.geodata.gov.hk/covid-19/en.html
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