March 7, 2022
BEIJING – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has stressed that it will steadfastly assume the primary responsibility in fighting COVID-19.
To cope with the severity of the fifth wave and to ensure the effective implementation of the anti-epidemic measures supported by the central authorities, the chief executive has assigned special tasks to 13 directors of bureaus
In a press statement on Saturday, the government said that under the regime led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the secretaries of departments and the directors of bureaus will continue to work together in shouldering anti-epidemic duties to stabilize the situation.
To cope with the severity of the fifth wave and to ensure the effective implementation of the anti-epidemic measures supported by the central authorities, the chief executive has assigned special tasks to 13 directors of bureaus.
They are requested to personally lead the relevant anti-epidemic work, mobilize the departments under their purview and be held accountable to the chief executive.
“Upon the outbreak of the new wave of the epidemic with confirmed cases on the rise, each and every measure adopted by the Hong Kong SAR government has been serving to safeguard the lives and safety of members of the public but the execution involved has outgrown the Hong Kong SAR government’s own capability,” Lam said.
“We are deeply grateful to the central authorities for its sincere care. Leveraging their support, the whole government shall work as a team to keep on enhancing the implementation of the various anti-epidemic measures in order to win the anti-epidemic battle as early as possible for the stability of Hong Kong.”
The Hong Kong SAR government also noted that although the public health crisis is about the lives of the people and time sensitive, it shall lay a solid legal foundation for each of its measures.
The Emergency (Exemption from Statutory Requirements) Regulation enacted by the Executive Council last month has built a legal basis for mainland support for Hong Kong’s anti-pandemic work, it said.