30 June
NEW cases of coronavirus infection in China and New Zealand highlight the risks of coronavirus resurging, and show why we must do better.
After weeks without a locally transmitted case, an outbreak linked to a food market occurred in Beijing, spreading to half of its districts and to other provinces. The capital has raised its emergency level, suspended schools and cancelled hundreds of flights.
In New Zealand, which had seen no cases for 24 days and had lifted all domestic restrictions, two new arrivals have tested positive and 320 of their contacts are being traced.
Internationally, 100,000 new cases are being confirmed daily. Even places that seem to have weathered the worst must stay alert to the risk of resurgence, the World Health Organization’s chief has warned. There is no guarantee that a vaccine will end the pandemic, and even if an effective one is found it is unlikely to be delivered quickly.
While balancing public health considerations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Government has granted permission to reopen factories after inspections for complying with health guidelines, along with accepting migrant workers returning from neighbouring countries through border checkpoints.
In fact, these two issues are great challenges for the county, amidst the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Stay-at-Home order has been lifted from townships at the end of this month, but an order banning the gathering of five or more people is still taking effect, in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus as a few cases are still found sporadically.
This reflects that we are not out of the woods yet, and people should not be negligent in protecting themselves from contracting the infection. People are urged to strictly follow all health guidelines.
Social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks are still vital to our battle against the COVID-19.
If we can effectively contain the spread of the coronavirus, we hope that a second wave of the virus, which is expected to resurge in the next one to two months, can be prevented.
The measures we are now taking prove that we can contain the virus. But, our people are advised not to forget to wear masks and wash hands, and follow all guidelines. Remember, no pain--no gain. Our actions will bring results.
