Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session after attending the 2022 Policy Address District Forum today (August 27):
 
Reporter: Is the situation affecting the plan on opening the border with the Mainland? Will it be discussed in the upcoming trip? And what's the status about the border reopening? And to what extent the Government would tighten social distancing measures and is there a possibility to impose more limitations for quarantine for incoming travellers? Thank you.
 
Chief Executive: I am very conscious of the need of maintaining connectivity with both the Mainland and the international world, that is why I have cancelled the circuit-breaker system and also I have introduced the "3+4" solution to people who come to Hong Kong through the airport. One important thing is we have to ensure that the COVID situation is under control so that the high-risk people, particularly the very old and very young, will be protected from the threat to their health and safety. I also have to ensure that the public health system is well protected, so that people who need the medical service will not be affected too seriously. In actual fact, about 20 to 30 per cent of the public (health) service has been cut in order to deal with the COVID situation.
 
     I will be trying to maximise the possibility of activities that society need to have and the economic activities that Hong Kong need to have, to ensure that we will continue to be competitive. But at the same time you have to appreciate that I have to ensure that the public health is maintained. So the short answer to your question is, as I manage to ensure the public health system can function to deal with the threat of the epidemic, and there is a good protection of the high-risk group, then my strategy is to allow society to have their social, economic and normal activities as much as possible. On this basis, what we can all do together, is to co-operate with the measures of the Government so as to deal with this epidemic, in a way that we can satisfy the two principles that I have earlier mentioned: protecting the high-risk group and also ensuring the public health system can function. If those two factors are well controlled, then there is room for us to allow activities to go about as much as possible. In order to achieve that, everyone has to play their part because fighting the epidemic is the responsibility and the concern of everybody. I need everybody to work in that direction. I hope that if we can all work together and (cope with) the Government's strategy of doing precision measures in accordance with risks, then there is no need for us to do extra work in extra measures about social distancing.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)

Ends/Saturday, August 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 20:45

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