【明報專訊】IN view of the ongoing spread of the coronavirus outbreak on the mainland, the Hong Kong government has announced the closure of more border crossings including that at Lo Wu, stopping short of a total border shutdown. Disappointed by the authorities' decision, a union representing front-line medical workers has decided to escalate their strike in a desperate bid to force the government to make concessions. The controversy over border closure has again highlighted the situation that, because of Hong Kong society's division and people's distrust in the government, nearly all issues related to the mainland are doomed to meet with conflicts. There is no such thing as "perfect epidemic prevention" in this world. The most important thing to do is to continuously adjust the strategy in accordance with the developing situation of the epidemic. Our current main strategy is blocking the virus, with the general direction being about reducing the flow of travellers between the mainland and Hong Kong as much as possible. This direction has not received too much objection from different sides in society. Rather, the biggest disagreement is over "how radical such efforts should be". All parties must allow more time for further discussion and communicate frankly to reduce suspicions. They should be united as one to fight the epidemic rather than lose their heads. The government is responsible for providing stronger support for front-line medical workers. It should also let the public know more about its contingency plans to cope with various scenarios that may come up with different developments of the outbreak. The medical profession should also stay firmly in their posts so as not to affect patients' interests.