The Hong Kong Sevens ended successfully yesterday, with Australia finally winning the Silver Cup. Another goal of the event is whether Hong Kong Seven Lam, considered a “carnival”, can become an opportunity for Hong Kong to further ease social distancing measures. During the three-day “Qilan” competition, the audience was seen eating and drinking without wearing masks during the carnival and there was almost “zero epidemic prevention” in the stadium. Some breathing specialists believe that the Qilan event will not affect the Hong Kong epidemic, but point out that the “order of the masks” has yet to be maintained and the practice of tens of thousands of people over the past three days cannot be entered. in the society of 7.5 million people, otherwise it will be brought It is a big risk.Photo: Li Ruizhe
Qi Lam, which had been away from Hong Kong for three years, was again staged at the Hong Kong stadium. A total of over 65,000 people entered the stadium on the 3rd. Although the number of foreign tourists was reduced to “0 + 3”, the atmosphere of the audience was still damaged. Whenever the support team scored, they cheered and even stood up and raised their hands in support. Two weeks before the game, the government approved that spectators should not wear masks when eating and drinking at the stadium, but most of the people I saw on the scene took off their masks and cheered with their “true colors” like if they had returned before the outbreak.
In recent days, several officials have also entered the stadium to watch the game, including Chief Executive Officer Li Jiachao, Chief Secretary Chen Guoji, Financial Secretary Chen Maobo and Security Secretary Tang Bingqiang, etc. Some officials even shared on social platforms to take off their masks to watch the game or chat with the audience. Happy photos showed that most officers were holding drinks or putting drinks nearby. Among them, Chen Guoji said on social networking sites that the Hong Kong government will continue to review the latest outbreak developments, continue to ease various outbreak prevention and quarantine measures at the appropriate time, and welcomes various international events. to be held in Hong Kong again, so that people can return to normal life as soon as possible.
Ye Liu Shuyi, the caller of the previous meeting, described the “Seven Lam” as a great challenge, because “spectators can drink, eat and throw up together in the stadium … The bar can be open until the end of the night” It did not reflect the sharp deterioration in the epidemic situation and I believe that Hong Kong has the conditions to reopen.
As for the first day of Qilan, 9 tourists were refused entry because the “vaccine pass” was still “yellow code”, and one of them, Reiner, a South African tourist, was entertained by the conference to attend the final scene of the garage after returning yesterday to the “blue code” One day race. He said that the process of waiting for the transfer of the “Blue Code” on 3 was not good, but he was happy with the result and also said that he would come to Hong Kong to travel in the future.
Liang Zichao hopes to enter “0 + 0” or go first
There are rumors in the community that social distancing measures should be eased further if there is no major impact or outbreak of the local epidemic following the end of Qilan. Liang Zichao, a respiratory system specialist, told this newspaper that there are only about 20,000 to 30,000 spectators every day for the event, and there is no situation in the market where millions of people celebrate together due to a single event, so he didn’t expect the event to impact the outbreak. He went on to say that there are large numbers of people in the community for social activities every day, and the daily audience is only a small number in comparison. Under the premise that thousands of new coronary pneumonia cases are still registered in Hong Kong every day, even if there is transmission, it will not be. By making the numbers fluctuate a lot, “it’s a different matter from having activity after ‘zeroing'”.
When asked what measures could be relaxed, Liang Zichao said bluntly that the first and most important is the “0 + 0” immigration agreement, that is, there are no mandatory quarantine restrictions and “yellow code”, and believes that the experience of tourists visiting Hong Kong will be completely different. However, he stressed that the “order of the masks” should not be lifted during the winter and should even become a subsequent anti-epidemic measure. He explained that in recent years citizens have been able to control the flu and rhinovirus thanks to the use of masks for a long time, but in the United States, which has revoked the “mask order”, there have been cases. related earlier this year Therefore, Hong Kong still needs masks with multiple protective functions Pandemic prevention at source.
For the majority of the audience not wearing masks properly or wearing masks, Liang Zichao said that most of the audience were normal adults or young people and only a few people were involved in the activities on the 3rd day before and after. Putting the issue in the context of 7.5 million people, reaffirming that there is a large number of seniors and children in the community, complete relaxation would represent a great risk.
Jiang Yuhuan: An emergency that is beyond the understanding of ordinary people
In addition, earlier this year, the government enacted a series of anti-epidemic laws under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, commonly known as the Emergency Law, to curb the fifth wave of the epidemic. Jiang Yuhuan, a member of the Legislative Council of the Electoral Commission, wrote on social networking sites that if the measures were formulated on the basis of the “Emergency Law”, they should be lifted when the situation is not urgent. He went on to say that although the emergency law does not define an emergency, according to a document issued by the government in January of the previous year on the prevention of new coronary pneumonia, it is recalled that factors such as the severity of the disease, the course of epidemic and contagiousness should be taken into account when formulating measures. Hong Kong is about to enter the fourth year of anti-epidemic, Jiang Yuhuan wondered if this is still an emergency situation and also called the urgent need for rational and risk assessment and analysis, when the Hong Kong government allowed the detention of Qilan and the audience in the hall to dance with joy, “This is no longer an emergency that ordinary people can understand.”
Originally posted on AM730 https://www.am730.com.hk/local/The Touchstone of Epidemic Prevention Relaxation – Qilan 3-day audience without mask eat carnival experts-hard to pick up the masks order- / 346580
