Zero-COVID Unsustainable Plan for Hong Kong, Says Gov’t Advisor

Leading microbiologist and government advisor, Yuen Kwok-yung, called the city’s current zero-COVID strategy “unsustainable” in a radio interview yesterday, arguing for an adaption in the city’s timetable for reopening.

Speaking to RTHK, Yuen said it is the best time that vaccine passports be introduced to raise the city’s inoculation rate.

“If you announce the policy now, by March everyone should have received two doses. People cannot go to work or school if they're unvaccinated,” Yuen said, adding that Hong Kong could resume international travel when its city-wide vaccination rate hits 90%.

By July 2021, he said, Hong Kong could fully reopen if 99% of its people have been given booster shots.

Yuen noted that there would be a “transitional period” of more than two months that Hong Kong would see a surge in deaths and COVID-19 infections, similar to what happened in Singapore and Israel.

The virus could spread to the unvaccinated elderly population after the resumption of international travel and lead to 1,000 or more deaths.

A summer reopening would allow the city, Yuen said, to reduce the risk of serious infections as the Omicron variant has shown to produce mild symptoms among vaccinated people.