【社評雙語道】與內地通關更有現實可能性 政府需早做預案

【原文】本港近日出現兩宗新冠確診個案，皆證實感染了傳染力極強的Delta病毒。迄今傳染性最強的Delta病毒，正造成歐美疫情反彈、澳洲封城兼澳新旅遊氣泡中斷，東京也不排除會封城，新一波疫情風險迫在眉睫，本港與歐美常態通關，變得越來越遙遙無期；而廣東已成功控制變種病毒傳播，中國工程院院士鍾南山指香港與內地可望7月有限度通關。疫情防控態勢顯示，本港與內地通關最有條件、可能性最大，政府有必要及早與內地商定通關預案，可考慮先商務、再探親，積累經驗後再擴大，同時加快疫苗接種步伐，創造通關有利條件。

世衞總幹事譚德塞近日警告指，Delta病毒是迄今發現的傳染性最強的新冠病毒，已有至少85個國家和地區發現了這一變種毒株，且正在未接種疫苗的群體中迅速傳播。中國工程院院士鍾南山指，Delta病毒載量高、潛伏期短、核酸轉陰時間長，在傳播早期不到10 天內已有五代的傳播，比普通病毒株傳染性高一倍。

目前，Delta病毒已導致多國疫情反彈。英國近日每日新增的1.8萬確診個案，幾乎全部都是Delta變種病毒個案；美國新增病例有35%感染的是Delta變種病毒；德國預計境內疫情將由於Delta變種病毒而出現反彈；澳洲悉尼感染Delta變種病毒個案增至110宗，悉尼已進入兩星期封鎖，為此新西蘭暫停與澳洲旅遊氣泡3天。最先發現Delta變種病毒的印度，目前更發現傳染性更強的Delta Plus變種病毒，其中馬哈拉施特拉邦已有至少20宗病例。本港最近新增的輸入確診個案皆感染變種病毒，兩宗本土確診病例已證實感染了Delta變種病毒，顯示該變種已進入本港社區，本港與歐美實施常態通關的希望，至少在短期內無法實現。

目前防控Delta變種病毒傳播，廣州已取得成功經驗。據中國工程院院士鍾南山介紹，廣州針對Delta變異株感染的特點，採取了創新的科學管理措施，如迅速鎖定感染源、精準查清傳播鏈；更新了密切接觸者概念，分級制定了封閉、封控等不同的管控模式；通過大數據查出曾到過高危區的人群賦予「黃碼」標誌等。由於廣州已連續一周多未有新增確診個案，鍾南山表示，預計內地與香港恢復通關會比較快，因為最近香港沒有出現社區傳播，疫情控制得比較好，預計7月份應能有限通關。

廣州抗擊Delta變種病毒的經驗，值得本港參考借鑒，而鍾南山院士關於本港與內地通關的時間判斷及理據，亦對本港考慮通關方向、抗疫重點有提醒作用。事實上，內地疫情防控成績有目共睹，本港與內地通關，確是最現實、最可行、最有條件的，特區政府可考慮將疫情防控近期目標，務實地確定為與內地實施分階段通關，為此做好預案，加緊與內地商討，以盡快實現與內地有序擴大範圍通關。

政府還應同時全力推進疫苗接種工作。據倫敦帝國理工學院的研究，年輕人感染Delta變種病毒比率是年長一輩的5倍，美國總統拜登24日亦在社交媒體指，年輕、尚未接種疫苗的人最危險。目前英格蘭地區有超過一半30歲以下的成年人已接種疫苗，當局並在體育館和商場等場所，設立數百個毋須提前預約、可直接前往打針的疫苗接種點。本港可借鑒這些做法，提高年輕人接種疫苗動力，加快本港疫苗接種進度，促進與內地盡快實現通關。 （摘錄自香港《文匯報》社評 2021-06-28）

Government should make early preparations as travel resumption with mainland most plausible

【譯文】Both of the two newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong were found to be the highly contagious Delta variant. The Delta variant, the most contagious mutant strain so far, is currently causing a rebound of new cases in the West. It also brought the Australia-New Zealand travel bubble to an abrupt end, leading to lockdowns in the former country. In response to the threat of the highly infectious variant, Tokyo is also considering implementing lockdowns. Under the imminent threat of a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the West is becoming less and less likely. Meanwhile, the Delta outbreak has been successfully brought under control in Guangzhou, China. According to Zhong Nanshan, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, limited travel between Hong Kong and mainland China could resume as early as July. As the current pandemic situation shows that mainland China is in the best position to resume travel with Hong Kong, the government should begin negotiations with its mainland counterparts as soon as possible. The authorities could consider opening up business travels first, and then extend the arrangement to family visits and so on, after accumulating relevant experience. At the same time, the vaccination rate should be further boosted to create a more favourable environment for travel resumption.

World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently warned that the Delta virus is the most contagious variant of Covid-19 so far. At least 85 countries or regions have already reported cases of this variant, and it is still spreading rapidly among unvaccinated groups. According to the Chinese expert Zhong Nanshan, the Delta variant is not only more contagious than previous ones, but also has a shorter incubation period and requires a longer time to turn negative in testing. A fifth-generation transmission has been recorded in only less than 10 days, showing that the Delta virus is twice as contagious as the common strain.

At present, the Delta virus has caused a rebound of new Covid-19 cases in many countries. Almost all of the 18,000 newly confirmed cases per day in the UK are Delta variants, while 35 per cent of the new cases in the United States were also Delta variants. Germany is expecting a rebound in new cases due to the threat of the Delta virus. In Sydney, Australia, the number of Delta variant cases has increased to 110, forcing the city to enter into a two-week lockdown. The country's travel bubble arrangement with the neighbouring New Zealand was also consequentially suspended for three days. India, where the Delta variant was first discovered, has now discovered an even more contagious Delta Plus variant, of which there have been at least 20 cases in its state of Maharashtra. Back in Hong Kong, the newly imported cases along with the two local cases have all been infected with the Delta variant. This indicates that the Delta variant has entered the local community already. Given the circumstances, it is highly unlikely that the hopes of resuming travel with Europe and America could be fulfilled in the short term.

Meanwhile in Guangzhou, the spread of the Delta variant has been successfully brought under control. According to Zhong, innovative measures were taken to target the Delta variant specifically. These measures include swift source identification, accurate investigation of transmission chains, expanded definition of close contacts, and tiered control of local communities. People who went to high-risk areas were also tracked and assigned "yellow codes" with the help of big data. Since there have been no new confirmed cases for over a week in Guangzhou, and that no community transmission is found in Hong Kong recently, Zhong believes the resumption of travel could happen sooner between mainland China and Hong Kong, with limited travel starting as early as July.

Guangzhou's fight against the Delta variant is a valuable lesson for Hong Kong, while Zhong's advice on when to resume travel between Hong Kong and mainland China has also provided some hints for the city's border re-opening and anti-pandemic efforts. Mainland China's success on pandemic control is evident to all, and as such is in the best position to resume travel with Hong Kong. The SAR government may consider setting a phased resumption of cross-boundary travel with the mainland as its short-term goal. To this end, the authorities should make preparations together with their mainland counterparts.

At the same time, the government should spare no effort in promoting vaccination. According to research conducted by Imperial College London, the possibility of younger people catching the Delta variant is five times higher compared to older people. US President Joe Biden also stated on social media on 24 June that unvaccinated young people are the most at risk. Over 50 per cent of adults under the age of 30 in England have now been vaccinated. The relevant authorities have set up hundreds of vaccination points in stadiums and shopping malls, of which the public can go directly without having to make an appointment. Hong Kong can learn from these practices to motivate younger generations to take the jab, so that the overall vaccination rate could be boosted further, and travels between Hong Kong and mainland China could be resumed as soon as possible.●Jeffrey Tse

Exercise

1. 旅遊氣泡

2. 變種毒株

3. 潛伏期

4. 社區傳播

5. 封城

Answer

1. travel bubble

2. mutant strain

3. incubation period

4. community transmission

5. lockdown