Why Hong Kong Never Had a Lockdown ?

 HOW HONG KONG HAD BEATED CORONAVIRUS AND AVOIDED LOCKDOWN ?

 Hong Kong reported its first confirmed case of Covid-19 on January 22nd. While the town did undergo phased closures affecting government offices, schools, gyms and bars, other services were unaffected, such as dine-in service at restaurants, malls, and trains. Despite its laissez-faire approach, Hong Kong has kept its fatality and infection rates low compared to other densely packed cities. The city, which features a population of seven .5 million people, only recorded around 1,200 cases toward the top of June.

 Let’s compare that to Singapore, another major city in Asia. While both cities recorded similar infection rates at the beginning , Singapore experienced a surge amid an epidemic in migrant worker housing quarters,causing the city-state to enact lockdown measures. In short, Hong Kong had consecutive weeks of zero new cases. By all accounts, Hong Kong’s situation could are bad. It’s one among the world’s most dense cities,public transit is usually packed, there are even direct flights and trains from Wuhan. In fact, quite 2.5 million people arrived here from China in January alone.

 So how exactly did Hong Kong do it? Let’s check out five factors that resulted within the city defeating Covid-19 while avoiding a lockdown. At the top of January, most of the people you saw walking through streets like this were already wearing face masks and it wasn’t because the government required it, but because people here remember only too well what happened in 2003. We had never experienced something like that at that point , but due to our experience during SARS, the Hong Kong people are much more alert. 

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, affected the town particularly hard. Leah was in high school then and remembers it only too well. once I was in class , the teachers were taking our temperatures and that we were wearing masks all the time. That’s why, today, the Hong Kong people are much more-diligent when facing the coronavirus outbreak, where we all know what to try to to , because we already had an experience of what could happen if we don’t take these safety measures. The outbreak was first identified in 2002 and eventually came to infect nearly 1,800 people in Hong Kong . Hong Kong bore the brunt of the outbreak after mainland China, with nearly 300 fatalities within the city. Following the health crisis, Hong Kong's government created the middle for Health Protection, which focuses on disease prevention and control. the general public really responded, then in most places within the city, you'll really see that folks were wearing masks. That’s Professor Fukuda. He previously worked at the Wold Health Organization and is now the director of the varsity of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong . once they first heard about cases occurring in China , people took it seriously. 

If you'll get people and therefore the government to work together, it’s an amazingly powerful combination. In late January, Hong Kong closed nine of its 12 border checkpoints, leaving the remaining three open to facilitate the flow of products . because the situation evolved, the town banned all non-residents from entering, starting on Annunciation . By early April, there have been only about 100 daily visitor arrivals, and people who were arriving would need to undergo a strict 14-day quarantine. This one is that the bracelet they're going to put on you as soon as you land in Hong Kong . The wristband belongs to Marco, an Italian who has been living and dealing in Hong Kong for six years. He flew from his hometown in Italy back to Hong Kong on May 10th, where he was immediately tested for Covid-19 and, despite his negative test results, he was still required to spend 14 days in quarantine reception . 

The wristband allows officials to track his location in the least times. I even have to sleep, I even have to shower, I have to cook, I even have to try to to everything with this. After returning to his apartment following the test, he had to physically walk round the house therefore the government could track his home’s coordinates. I cannot go downstairs or outside,otherwise i feel it'll ring. Actually, I don’t want to undertake because the fine would beHK$25,000 and 6 months jail. Besides the wristband, Marco has even received sporadic calls from officialdom on WhatsApp, checking in on him. As infection levels plunged, the town gradually eased some of its border controls at the top of April. After testing negative for Covid-19 in Hong Kong ,Marco was asked to write down down the car place of the taxicab which brought him backhome. this enables authorities to contact the taxi driver in case Marco tested positive later. 

Health officials announced variety of confirmed cases were likely contracted at this bar behind me located within the heart of the city’s nightlife district. Announcements like this one are all a part of itsextensive efforts referred to as contact tracing. Every case undergoes contract tracingto attempt to limit the spread of it. Anybody who has had contact with a confirmed caseis also instructed to self-isolate. In fact,the Hong Kong government has an interactive map online showing detailed information about all the confirmed cases within the city such astheir residence and the way they were infected. for instance,a 29-year old male who tested positiveon Saint Joseph ,visited this building just three three days earlier. 

All this information is within the property right surely, this ended up being the same gym that i'm going to and therefore the company sent out an email confirming that a member had in facttested positive and disclosed which locations and times he had visited within the last few weeks.

Another factor which likely helped combat Covid-19 here is that the incontrovertible fact that the town features a centralized government. Its relatively small population means that it is simpler for the government to watch and control the movement of its people as opposed to how it's for bigger cities or countries.