Opinion

Can Hong Kong move from ‘zero Covid’ to living with the virus?

As public frustration grows, the government’s twin pushes for vaccination and stricter Covid-19 measures will only work if there is a clear plan for a return to normal life

But its desire to reopen the border with the mainland is a stumbling block, and protocols need to evolve to cope with Covid-19 acceptance internationally

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People queue outside a temporary community testing centre which provides free Covid-19 testing in the Wong Tai Sin area of Hong Kong on January 9. Photo AFP

John Hanzhang Ye is a PhD student in science and technology history at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and also holds an MPhil degree in sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Published: 9:15am, 11 Jan 2022Updated: 9:28am, 11 Jan 2022

As Covid-19 cases spike, the Hong Kong government has reimposed restrictions to control the spread of the Omicron variant. Meanwhile, the city’s vaccination rate has reached nearly 70 per cent, a level some consider to be sufficient for achieving herd immunity.

What the government appears to have neglected is that its vaccination policy is not just a public policy, but also creates an expectation among the public of a return to normal life, to some degree at least. Therefore it is critical to manage public expectations and be clear about the transition from a zero-Covid policy to coexisting with the virus, to sustain public cooperation.

Last August, the government promoted vaccination as a way to build a “protective shield” for the city. Public health experts claimed that a 70 per cent vaccination rate would confer herd immunity on the city. Although many Hongkongers were hesitant, the vaccination rate for those having received two doses still managed to edge up to 70 per cent.

But cultivating a public expectation of herd immunity conflicts with the Covid-19 policy of zero tolerance. A zero-Covid policy means eliminating every possible case while herd immunity means most people in the community are protected. But it does not guarantee zero infections.