The government yesterday announced the immediate suspension of the repeatedly criticized flight circuit breaker mechanism, and at the same time required entry quarantine persons to add a nucleic acid test on the third day of arrival in Hong Kong from today (8th), paving the way for shortening the entry quarantine. Zeng Qiyin, co-chairman of the Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee of the Medical Association, said on the radio program this morning (8th) that the government may not need to continue the circuit breaker mechanism. In addition to this mechanism, the external prevention of import includes three links including designated isolation hotels and virus testing.
Zeng Qiyin also pointed out that following the suspension mechanism, the number of tests can be increased. If other aspects fail to cooperate, only using the fusing mechanism will not work.
Li Zhaobo, an honorary teaching and research scholar at the Asia-Pacific Business Institute of the CUHK Business School, believes that the government’s current use of the word “suspend” means that there is room for the restoration of the “circuit breaker mechanism” in the future when the epidemic worsens. He believed that some airlines would be somewhat worried regarding the “comeback” of the mechanism, and suggested that the “circuit breaker mechanism” should be terminated.
