The COVID-19 response in Hong Kong

July 1, 2020, was the anniversary of the return of sovereignty and commencement of the National Security Law, when activists disregarded physical distancing and challenged the 50-people limit3 in any public gathering—a limit that was relaxed in June, 2020, probably prematurely. [...]the Hong Kong Government ran a voluntary test programme in the first fortnight of September, 2020; as of Sept 12, 2020, 1·73 million of 7·50 million residents had been screened, and 36 asymtomatic carriers were identified, despite attempted sabotage of the tests by dissidents.7,8 About a third of the carriers had cycle threshold values above 35, suggesting spontaneous recoveries, whereas another third had cycle thresholds of 29 or less, indicative of infectivity.9 To assist with the programme Chinese media reported that more than 570 clinicians came from neighbouring provinces and worked 12 h shifts, sometimes allegedly wearing adult diapers and eating only one full meal a day to meet demands.10 This work was inspired by the Chinese experience. More than half of Beijing's 23 million people were tested, with a focus on workers in high-risk occupations, followed by a comprehensive assessment of residents in specific districts with new cases.