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Farewell 2020

In four days, we will bid farewell to 2020. It has not been an easy year for us. While social stability is gradually restored, the volatile epidemic situation and poor economic performance have frustrated many people. It has also been a difficult year for many places around the world given the pandemic, economic recession, geopolitics, the China-US tensions, etc.

Nonetheless, when we look back at the past 360 days, it is clear that regardless of our differences, the only true enemy we all faced is the virus itself. The epidemic has threatened the lives of our citizens as well as social and economic stability. Whatever anti-epidemic strategies and measures we adopt, we must curb the virus as quickly as possible to protect the health of people and the economy. The paramount importance of bringing the epidemic under control has become the consensus of the whole society.

How we view the epidemic and the anti-epidemic work would not change the fact that the virus is highly contagious. While some of those infected are asymptomatic, others’ conditions could deteriorate rapidly. Swift and effective control of the epidemic is not only the key to protect the health of all citizens, but also the prerequisite for the restoration of normal daily lives as well as social and economic activities. To achieve this goal, the most imminent task is to strictly prevent imported infection cases and strive for zero domestic cases.

The Hong Kong SAR Government has implemented a series of measures to further prevent imported infection cases, including tightening up restrictions on entering Hong Kong, arranging special transportation for arriving persons, and extending the period of and designating hotels for quarantine. In order to strive for zero domestic cases, we are working tirelessly to identify infected persons, put them under quarantine and provide them with treatment to break the chain of transmission. Conducting virus testing with the widest scope could help us find out infection cases to the largest extent and cut off the sources of transmission. Together with the vaccination programme to be launched, there will be two lines of defence in our work against the epidemic.

We may have felt frustrated over the past year, but we are reminded of what is truly important amid difficult times. Many things that we usually take for granted in our daily lives have become less certain during the epidemic. With gathering with family and friends becoming difficult under social distancing restrictions, we treasure even more the time spent together. Our social and economic stability over a rather long period of time, which used to be taken for granted, is indeed the result of many factors together with the concerted efforts of citizens and the Government. Only by continuing economic development and maintaining social stability could we create more favourable conditions to address the deep-seated problems in our society.

Large-scale virus testing and vaccination, which are important steps in the anti-epidemic work, require the support and cooperation of citizens. The support of the community is equally important for promoting social and economic development. As we turn the page to a new year, we all hope to get over the epidemic soon and ride out of the stormy time. While we look forward to better times in 2021, let us join hands to seize the opportunities brought by our country’s sustained economic development and other economies’ gradual recovery.

December 27, 2020