Hong Kong used to contain coronavirus, now concerned that international travelers may bring it back

To date, Hong Kong, home to more than 7 million people, has fewer than 170 cases and four deaths, while other countries and cities have reported hundreds, if not thousands, of infections.

But now, after weeks of city-wide action, fears are growing of a potential second wave of cases – imported from outside the territory.

Earlier this week, the front page of influential local newspaper Apple Daily criticized expatriates gathering in a maskless bar. The story has drawn from a widespread perception among many Hong Kongers, whether or not it is true, that some foreign residents of the city did not share their alarm during the epidemic.

Many foreigners living in the city today have not experienced the 2003 SARS epidemic, which cast a shadow over the current response, and made the Hong Kong people much more suspicious and willing to take extreme precautions.

Some residents were frustrated with the attitude of a minority of expatriates, including some bosses and colleagues, who belittled or mocked the emergency measures put in place – such as wearing masks everywhere or working from home – ignoring the painful lessons that their locally-born colleagues had learned from SARS.

There was also a feeling that many foreign passport holders had an easy route of evacuation to other countries that Hong Kongers did not have.

Hong Kong now being one of the safest places in the world, some who have left are beginning to return, while others are forced from – many countries which attract large numbers of students from Hong Kong is shutting down universities and locking themselves up – increasing concerns that they will bring the coronavirus back with them.

On Tuesday, the city government issued a red notice for all foreign countries, requiring that anyone arriving from abroad be subjected to a 14-day home quarantine. Of the 10 new cases reported that day, almost all had recently traveled to Europe or the United States.

"Given the proliferation of the disease and the continuing increase in the number of reported cases worldwide, members of the public are strongly encouraged to avoid non-essential travel outside of Hong Kong," said the Center. for Health Protection of the city in a press release. .

"The CHP urges the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at all times, which is key to protecting individuals against infection and preventing the spread of the disease in the community. members of the public should wear a surgical mask if experiencing respiratory symptoms, taking public transportation or staying in crowded places, and should wash their hands frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes . "

Speaking this week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that "if all of these imported cases cause an epidemic in the community, the consequences will be unimaginable and add to the burden on the public health system."

Social distancing – aided by a massive homework program – has been the most effective measure to maintain infection rates in Hong Kong. Newcomers will receive an electronic bracelet that will monitor if they breach quarantine. The group synchronizes with an application that maps people's apartments and alerts the government if they leave.

Given that many people have returned to the city before this measure was put in place, it is feared that not all of them willfully comply with government warnings.

While unconfirmed allegations on social media that the returnees ignore the quarantine measures, some companies are taking matters into their own hands. Hemingway & # 39; s, a bar in the Discovery Bay area, which has a large foreign population, issued a "warning to anyone returning from Europe" on Monday.

"DB is a small community, everyone knows you, so if you're supposed to be isolated, don't come to Hemingway," said the bar. says on Facebook. "If we see you, we will send our video surveillance footage to the authorities. YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED."

With the fear that imported cases will cause a second wave of infections, graffiti urging people to wear masks has become a common phenomenon in parts of the city. "Hey gweilo, too poor to buy a mask?" reads such a room. Gweilo is a Cantonese word commonly used to refer to foreign residents.

Part of the problem is that, although Hong Kong has long advised people to wear masks in public, other governments have given conflicting advice, and those who return or move around the city without being masked can follow instructions from their home country.

"Unfortunately, the downward conversation around the masks has become a case study of how not to communicate with the public," said Zeynep Tufekci, professor of information science, wrote this week in an opinion piece in the New York Times. She pointed to conflicting messages from American health officials in particular – do not wear masks as they will not prevent infection, but they are also essential for medical workers – as confusing the public and driving to false claims that masks don't help me.

She cited Hong Kong as an example of a place where masks were common and infection rates were low. Officials must now reinforce this message in Hong Kong, otherwise they risk jeopardizing the city's hard-won security.

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