雙語社評齊齊聽

[英語 (足本收聽)] Presented by CHAN, Ka-ling Zoe, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

[普通話 (足本收聽)] Presented by Dr JIAO, Nina, Lecturer of Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Even a day's worth of changes to the mainland's measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic are too many. Nucleic acid checkpoints for drivers between cities and provinces have disappeared overnight. Some passengers had to show their nucleic acid reports before boarding planes or high-speed trains. After they got off their planes, they found that the landing check had been cancelled.

[ENG audio 1]

The mainland's rapid relaxation of pandemic prevention restrictions in such a short period of time has been due to the changes to the mutation of the virus. Although the virus is still extremely transmissible, its lethality is extremely low. Even if tens of thousands of infected cases are recorded every day, they will not cause much burden to the medical system. Despite the fact that the vaccination rate for elderly people still has not reached the ideal level, the proportions of severe diseases and mortality cases are extremely low. Therefore, it is no longer meaningful to conduct frequent and large-scale nucleic acid testing. Relaxation of pandemic restrictions is a practical approach that is in line with the new developments.

[ENG audio 2]

The law of the spread of pandemics is such that the number of infections will increase after restriction measures are lifted. However, the number announced by the mainland authorities recently has not increased but decreased. The reason is that many people who tested positive in their self-tests have not reported their test results at all, and the government does not strictly require reporting. The data that has been published is based on the people in quarantine and those who have sought medical help proactively, which is quite different from the actual number of people infected. However, those who have tested positive are mainly in home quarantine. Even if there is a certain degree of transmission across communities, it will not cause serious consequences. The value of the data released every day as a point of reference should also be considered separately.

[ENG audio 3]

In the past, the central government and local authorities took the number of infected cases per day as the criterion for determining the strictness of restriction measures. Now this practice has been abandoned, and the next step is to decide on the changes to the restrictions on the inbound movement of people. The circuit breaker mechanism has already been scrapped for entry by air from abroad, and the required number of nucleic acid tests before boarding has been reduced. Now it looks like there is room for further relaxation. The immediate priority is to ease restrictions on travelling to and from Hong Kong.

[ENG audio 4]

Chief Executive John Lee announced yesterday (11 December) that truck drivers are no longer subject to the restriction that they can deliver and pick up goods only in Shenzhen when entering and leaving the mainland. The past practice can be restored, meaning that they can pick up goods from or deliver goods to the destination directly. The restoration will come into force within a few days. If the rules for truck drivers can return to normal, when will the same thing happen for ordinary passengers?

[ENG audio 5]

When it comes to the relaxation of travel between Hong Kong and the mainland, the lifting of restrictions on mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong should also be considered in a timely fashion. The economic consideration is that Hong Kong needs the tourism industry to support its recovery. But there are also considerations for cultural exchanges. Things such as marriage procedures and academic exchanges that have been curbed due to the pandemic over the past three years need to return to normal as soon as possible. This has also been included in the agenda of policymakers.

[ENG audio 6]

Premier Li Keqiang has led a number of people in charge of international economic organisations vising China for conferences to a tour of Huangshan, saying that "an open China welcomes visitors from all parts of the world". This seems to convey an open message, at the same time giving Hong Kong citizens a reasonable expectation for the reopening of borders.

[ENG audio 7]

疫情新變化思維也要變 通關毋須考慮感染宗數

內地處置疫情措施的變化，一天都嫌多。城市以及省際之間檢查往來司機的核酸檢查站，一夜之間全部消失，旅客登飛機或高鐵前還要出示核酸報告，下飛機即發現落地檢取消了。

[PTH audio 1]

內地在短時間內大幅放開防疫限制，是基於病毒變種的變化，雖然傳播力極強，但病毒殺傷力極低，即使感染個案一天幾萬，對醫療系統也沒有造成多大負擔，即使老人的接種率仍然未達到理想比率，但重症率及死亡率比例極低，所以，再頻繁大範圍做核酸檢測已經沒有意義，放寬是與時俱進實事求是的做法。

[PTH audio 2]

按照疫情傳播的規律，放開限制措施後感染數字會飈升，內地近日公布的數字卻不升反跌，原因是很多自測陽性後根本不上報，政府也不嚴格要求上報，現在公布的數據，是根據在隔離人群以及主動求診當中發現，與實際感染人數的相差甚大。雖然如此，檢測出陽性的主要在居家隔離，即使在社區中有一定的傳播，也不會造成嚴重後果，每天公布的數據，其參考作用也應該另作考慮。

[PTH audio 3]

內地過去從中央到地方，均以每天感染宗數作為實施限制措施嚴寬的標準，現在已經放棄這種做法，接下來就是決定對入境人員限制標準的改變。對於從國外經航空入境的限制，已經取消熔斷機制，以及減少登機前核酸檢測次數，看來還有進一步放寬的空間。而當務之急是放寬往來香港的限制措施。

[PTH audio 4]

行政長官李家超昨天宣布，貨車司機進出內地，毋須限制於只能到深圳交收貨物，可以回復到過去的做法，直接到目的地提貨或交貨，不日內實施。貨車司機可以復常，一般旅客何時復常？

[PTH audio 5]

放寬往來香港與內地之間的旅客，應該及時考慮放寬內地旅客來香港的限制，香港需要旅遊業支撐復蘇是經濟考慮，但還有人文交流的考慮，3年疫情遏抑的婚姻手續、學術交流等情况，需要盡快復常，同樣已經納入決策者的議事日程。

[PTH audio 6]

總理李克強率領一眾來華參加會議的國際經濟機構負責人到黃山旅遊，表示「開放的中國歡迎各方來客」，似是傳達一個開放的信息，同時也給香港市民對開關懷有一個合理期望。

[PTH audio 7]

明報社評 2022.12.12