Hong Kong’s response to COVID-19: a glance to the control measures and their enforcement

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine Hong Kong’s responses to COVID-19, arguing that Hong Kong’s relatively low infection rate is due to self-discipline of citizens together with the enforcement measures introduced by the government.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviewed the government policy announcements and the prevailing scholarly analyses on Hong Kong society during COVID-19.

Findings

It starts by examining the partial lockdown and control measures since mid-January, and the roles of different government units in enforcement were examined and assessed. Suppression of viral outbreak in Hong Kong should primarily be attributed to the appropriate lockdown and quarantine actions of the government.

Originality/value

However, outperformance of the frontline professionals and the highly aware, self-disciplined and mutually aided citizens in the community are also the key to the “interim success” by June 2020 in the highly accessible and densely populated city.

Citation

Ho, K.K.L. and Chan, Y.-T. (2021), "Hong Kong’s response to COVID-19: a glance to the control measures and their enforcement", Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 80-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/STICS-10-2020-0026