HONG KONG — Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China under the One Country, Two Systems agreement. The city is adjacent to the Guangdong province in southern China, approximately 700 miles south of Wuhan. It is a bustling trade city with roughly five to six million visitors each month, and according to the Global Financial Centres Index, Hong Kong marks as the top financial city in Asia. Additionally, the city’s leadership has been very proactive in safely managing Hong Kong during COVID-19.
Hong Kong’s history with viral infections
By all rights, Hong Kong should be an epicenter of COVID-19. The country has the fourth-highest population density in Asia, with some 18,500 people per square mile. The country’s close proximity to mainland China should have also made it susceptible to the initial spread of the virus. For instance, the high-speed train line between Hong Kong and Wuhan covers nearly 700 miles in just less than four and a half hours. Yet, the city stands stalwart, showing to the world that against all odds, good policy and proactive citizens can prevail and crush the spread of the virus. Leading many to believe that Hong Kong is a model city during COVID-19.
The people of Hong Kong are not strangers to viral infections. In 1968, the influenza strain H3N2 began to spread in Hong Kong and then to the rest of the world. In the end, despite its low mortality rate, this virus killed more than one million people worldwide. A few decades later in 2003, SARS broke out in mainland China. This time, the people of Hong Kong were prepared, donning face masks and complying with safety regulations. Unfortunately, a total of 300 people still died. However, the precautionary measures made the figure drastically lower than it would have been otherwise.
Hong Kong’s response to COVID-19
In early 2020, the novel coronavirus began to spread like a wildfire. Responding almost immediately, Hong Kong barred entry to travelers, shut down schools and public facilities and ordered businesses to telecommute.
Although China technically banned face masks in Hong Kong as a response to protests, many citizens wore them anyway. Early on, the ban even resulted in surging popularity and demand for the masks, for they represented a face of defiance and protestation. By the time COVID-19 was spreading, nearly the whole populace was wearing masks.
COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong
In comparison, on May 18, Hong Kong reported four COVID-19 deaths while the city of New York lost over 28,000 people. The reason for this staggering disparity may coalign with the proactive policies and practices implemented in Hong Kong during COVID-19 thus far. Generally, the government listens to the advice of scientists and so do the people. As a result, the city also takes testing, tracing and quarantining very seriously.
For example, test rates in Hong Kong rank among the highest in the world, with some 13,800 tests done per million. Moreover, when an individual is confirmed infected, they are placed under forced quarantine with a tracking band. This electronic wristband will track the current location of the infected individual, ensuring that they do not break quarantine and infect others. Health officials then aggressively trace all previous contact of said individual to track the spread of the disease. So far, these measures have proven to be extremely successful in curbing undue suffering in Hong Kong during COVID-19.
Initially, Hong Kong was dealt a deadly hand with its high population density and close proximity to the source of the virus. Yet, with wise policy and proactive citizens, the city remains largely unscathed compared to the rest of the world. After months of worldwide tribulations, the city of Hong Kong has lost a total of seven people, a number that could be immensely worse if not for their tenacious efforts. Thus, it is fair to say that the conduct of Hong Kong during COVID-19 has made it into a model city for the rest of the world to follow.
– Jacob Pugmire
Photo: Flickr