Hong Kong must step up coordination on anti-epidemic efforts to win ‘people’s war’ against Covid-19, top Beijing health official says
- Dr Liang Wannian calls for cooperation and crisis response mode of departments, leadership organisations to be strengthened
- Liang’s comments come a day after Xia Baolong, director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told city officials to take ‘concrete actions’ in anti-pandemic fight
Dr Liang Wannian, leader of the Covid Response Expert Team of the National Health Commission (NHC), told state media Bauhinia Magazine on Friday that he was concerned about the deaths of elderly patients and said raising the vaccination rate of older residents should be a priority.
Liang is the most senior Beijing health official to help Hong Kong manage the surge in infections. He and a team of experts have been in the city since Monday to investigate and guide local anti-epidemic efforts.
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“How to strengthen cooperation and execution between departments and strengthen the crisis response mode of our leadership organisations, and quickly, that’s very important,” Liang said.
“Our expert group has had a very strong feeling since we came here: Hong Kong’s fight against the fifth wave is actually a people’s war that mobilises the whole society.”
“Top Hong Kong officials must have the courage to shoulder arduous responsibility, and do a good job in organisation and leadership, and fulfil their inaugural oath with concrete actions in the battle against the pandemic,” Xia said.