Suspending Mass Testing Gets Lam Praise and Condemnation

Yesterday Lam announced mass testing to be suspended

After Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced Hong Kong would put mass universal testing on hold indefinitely, mainlanders complained that the former British colony was "lying flat", a slang term meaning doing nothing.

However, Dr Liang Wannian, head of the National Health Commission's Covid Response Expert Team who had visited Hong Kong recently, came to Lam's defence today. He said postponing mass testing was based on a scientifically-based decision.

Liang said Hong Kong was not "lying flat"

He said the strategy of "three reductions" in minimising infections, severe cases and deaths, "three focuses" in identifying key groups, organisations and districts, and "one priority" in treating the elderly had yielded positive results.

"Therefore it cannot be said that epidemic control is relaxed without doing universal testing," Liang said. "Hong Kong is actually expanding its testing capacity... and allowing citizens to use rapid antigen tests at home so infections can be detected earlier and managed. I think the combination of these measures is of great significance to Hong Kong's epidemic prevention and control."

Despite the heavyweight endorsement from medical expert Liang, Hong Kong's leader is getting a salvo across the bow from pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, who is considering putting forward a non-confidence vote against her for flip-flopping on universal testing.

If his motion is tabled, it will be the first one initiated by a pro-Beijing legislator since the handover in 1997, in other words in almost 25 years.

But so far, none of his colleagues are publicly supporting his proposal, with one lawmaker calling it a "political stunt".

Isolation facilities are not 100 percent capacity

Isn't that what Ho is about? 

In any event, he blasted Lam for suspending the universal testing drive, saying preparation, including new quarantine facilities and laboratories supported by mainland Chinese authorities, had gone down the drain.

"We trust the [Hong Kong] government because we wholeheartedly trust the central government. But now you've told us things won't be carried out according to what you said... Tell us then, should we listen to you or not?" Ho said at a press conference today in support of small and medium enterprises struggling with the city's Covid-19 measures.

"There's only a spokesman for the government called the chief executive who seems to have a lot of spare time coming out everyday and talking hogwash as golden scripture... I feel disgusted seeing her face," he said, referring to her daily press briefings now in her second week.

Also he himself has experienced first hand what it's like to be in a quarantine camp in early February, but he is keen on making sure others have to go through what he did...

Ho when he was in his quarantine facilities

Ho accused the chief executive of a lack of overall planning, foresight, resolution and determination in the face of the fifth wave, which has claimed more than 6,000 lives. He urged residents to "hold Lam accountable" and push her to spell out a clear policy direction.

Interesting that he is taking this tack, though he and other pro-establishment lawmakers like Dominic Lee Tsz-king, Chan Hoi-yan and Michael Tian Puk-sun voiced their disappointment at the suspension of universal testing.

With Ho stirring the pot, he is creating yet another headache for Lam, but this is what happens when there is no more loyal opposition in the Legislative Council -- infighting within the pro-Beijing camp was bound to erupt eventually.

This is not the side show Lam needs right now, but for the rest of us desperate for any kind of entertainment since all cinemas, performing arts venues, and concerts are closed, we're socially distanced and watching this political diversion unfold with popcorn in hand.