Lo Chung-mau

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Professor The Honourable
Lo Chung-mau
BBS JP
盧寵茂
Lo Chung-mau in 2019.jpg
Lo in 2019
1st Secretary for Health
Assumed office
1 July 2022
Chief ExecutiveJohn Lee
Preceded bySophia Chan
(as Secretary for Food and Health)
Personal details
Born1961 (age 61–62)
Portuguese Macau
NationalityChinese (Hong Kong & Macau)[1]
Portuguese (1961–?)[2][3]
OccupationHospital Chief Executive of University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital
Head of Queen Mary Hospital Liver Transplant Centre

Lo Chung-mau (Chinese: 盧寵茂, born 1961) is a specialist in liver transplant, currently the Secretary of Health of the Government of Hong Kong. Before joining the government, he was Hospital Chief Executive at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Chair of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery at The University of Hong Kong and Director of Liver Transplantation Centre at Queen Mary Hospital.[4]

Secretary of Health

COVID-19

Lo said, in February 2022, that living with COVID would be "going to hell together".[5][6] In May 2022, he said that living with COVID would result in "we will all die together."[7]

In July 2022, Lo confirmed that Hong Kong would continue to adhere to China's zero-Covid policy.[8] He also rejected calls for quarantine-free travel and rejected living with COVID-19.[8] Lo also said it would be unreasonable to have a fully-open border with mainland China or the rest of the world.[8] Lo also said that other countries' COVID-19 policies could not be used for Hong Kong, stating "Many government policies cannot solely rely on foreign theories and practices. We also have to consider Hong Kong's situation including age, population, vaccination rates, and the capacity of the healthcare system."[9]

On 10 July 2022, Lo announced on a television show that government authorities hoped to implement real-name registration to the LeaveHomeSafe app as soon as possible; 4 days later, Sun Dong said there were no plans for his department to implement the changes.[10]

On 3 August 2022, Lo said that despite quarantine, the border was "open" with mainland China, stating "Many people say we have half-given up, or given up, opening up the border with the mainland. I have to emphasise that we would not give up. The border is always open, and the question is how we can improve the quota and quarantine measures."[11] In contrast, John Lee said that the administration has been trying to "open the border normally" with mainland China.[12]

On 13 August 2022, Lo admitted that the previously-mandated seven days of hotel quarantine had failed to meet the government's expectations and came at a high cost.[13]

On 26 August 2022, Lo suggested that the government may introduce further restrictions in response to COVID-19, stating "I hope the public will stay cautious ... and minimise large-scale gatherings ... otherwise, the government may have no choice but to tighten other social-distancing measures."[14] Lo also said that further opening up of the city currently was "not a realistic option at this point".[14] Lo also rejected Western-style COVID-19 policies, and also rejected "lying flat" as a response to COVID-19.[14]

On 27 August 2022, Lo suggested that private hospitals were slacking and could be punished for not taking in non-COVID patients from public hospitals due to potential overcrowding at public hospitals,[15] though Dr. Siddharth Sridhar of HKU said that the overcrowding was because elderly patients with COVID-19 were often sent to public hospitals even if the severity of their symptoms was low.[16]

On 4 September 2022, days after Bloomberg published an article claiming that John Lee preferred to cancel hotel quarantine before November 2022 while others such as Lo disagreed, Lo criticized media as misleading and compared it to "Chinese palace dramas".[17] On the same day, the city reported 10,683 positive cases, with 193 of them, or less than 2%, coming from imported cases.[17]

On 9 September 2022, Lo stressed that reducing quarantine and reopening to the world must be "based on data," with the government reporting that 154 of 10,076 new infections that day were imported, representing about 1.5% of all reported cases.[18] According to Centre for Health Protection, inbound travelers accounted for only 1.2% of confirmed cases in the previous month.[19]

On 12 September 2022, SCMP reported that the government's Covid-19 Expert Advisory Panel, composed of six medical specialists, had several members who suggested gradually lifting COVID-19 restrictions (including removing hotel quarantine by November 2022), with Lo and Ko Wing-man expressing their doubts about their suggestions and preferring a cautious approach.[20]

During a press conference on 13 September 2022, Chief Executive John Lee warned against comparing the flu against COVID-19, claiming that COVID-19 was 6 times more deadly than the flu, and stating that the situation was still "critical."[21] A day later, medical experts disagreed with Lee's data and estimated COVID-19's fatality rate at 0.098%, lower than the 0.1% recorded for the flu.[21] Dr. Joseph Tsang Kay-yan also mentioned that the death rate of 0.098% could be even lower in reality, due to citizens not reporting their infections, plus an accounting difference, where people who die with COVID-19 are counted as a COVID-19 death, even if the underlying cause of death was not due to COVID-19.[21] On 15 September 2022, Lo supported Lee's assertion that COVID-19 was 6 times more deadly than the flu, and accused the experts of misleading the public and using faulty reasoning.[21] A day later on 16 September 2022, former chief executive of the Hospital Authority, Leung Pak-yin, hinted that "someone" was preventing Hong Kong from returning to normalcy and preventing international travel to Hong Kong.[22] On 19 September 2022, the medical experts published their research, showing that the fatality rate was indeed 0.097% when using data from June 2022 onwards.[23]

On 25 September 2022, Lo said that the "0+0" policy of no quarantine and no self monitoring was not appropriate for the city, and said the reason was that people flying in were 3x more likely to be infected than local residents.[24] On the same day, imported cases represented 117 of 3,897 confirmed cases, or about 3% of confirmed cases.[25] Lo warned that moving to "0+0" could result in 10x more imported cases and would burden the healthcare system.[26] Asked about his previous comment which criticized "living with Covid," Lo said that his intent was to have the public keep fighting the virus.[24] Lo also said that Hong Kong was not "lying flat" when fighting Covid,[6] and that Hong Kong had not strayed away from the "dynamic-zero" Covid strategy.[26] Lo said that the Hong Kong government was the "chief engineer" in the fight against the pandemic, but said the government could not provide "a road map to resume normality" and that creating a timeline would be "not easy" due to the possibility of new variants.[26] Lo said "There are also a number of new virus variants overseas" and cited the BA.2.75 variant.[26][7]

On 29 September 2022, Lo emphasized that Hong Kong's anti-epidemic policy was based on the dominant need to protect mainland China, stating "This is our obligation: to make sure that we won't cause a major outbreak in the rest of China," and that the city could not follow other countries in anti-epidemic measures, saying "I don't think Hong Kong can just look at the international thing and follow the rest of the world. I have to consider the other thing. Our motherland is like our family."[27]

On 5 October 2022, legislative council member Doreen Kong criticized the government and Lo for invalidating 20,000 COVID-19 vaccine exemption passes, stating that he had no legal authority to do so, with Koon asking "Who is destroying the rule of law now?"[28][29] On 7 October 2022, Kwok Cheuk-kin filed a judicial review to the High Court, challenging Lo's decision to invalidate the vaccine exemption passes.[30] On 11 October 2022, the High Court temporary stopped Lo's invalidation of the vaccine exemption passes.[31] On 21 October 2022, the High Court ruled in Kwok's favor against Lo, ruling that Lo and the government has no power to invalidate vaccine exemption passes.[32] After losing the case, the government set to change the law to give them the legal authority to invalidate the vaccine exemption passes.[33] After the law was changed to give Lo the power to invalidate passes, Lo dismissed accusations that the government wanted to override the judiciary process, saying "It's not whether the government wins or someone else wins. We have to make sure all citizens win in this battle against Covid."[34] On 27 October 2022, Kwok filed another judicial review, stating that the new law violated the Basic Law since there was no appeal mechanism for people who have their vaccine passes invalidated.[35]

On 6 October 2022, the Trail Runners Association of Hong Kong requested an urgent meeting with Lo, asking why trail running was subject to stricter restrictions than other activities, saying current policies had "inconsistent, illogical, unfair restrictions" and "This undermines the credibility of Hong Kong's decision-making process on these issues, not only locally, but also globally."[36]

On 21 October 2022, Lo said that it was not the right time to remove the mask mandate, saying that the vaccination rates of elderly and children were not satisfactory, but did not provide clear answers on what vaccination rates would warrant the removal of the mask mandate.[37]

On 29 October 2022, when asked about why Hong Kong could has not moved from the "0+3" policy to "0+0," Lo said that there was still a need to monitor sub-variants.[38]

Xi Jinping

In August 2022, Lo held a meeting to discuss Chinese leader and CCP general secretary Xi Jinping's "important speech" given on 1 July 2022, stating "Xi Jinping's important speech reflects in full his care, attention and support for the Hong Kong SAR as well as the country's staunch and firm commitment to the full and faithful implementation of the principle of "one country, two systems". It is of great significance and meaning."[39] Lo also asked coworkers in the Department of Health to "grasp the core essence of Xi's speech and build it into their own work".[39]

Chinese medicine

In August 2022, Lo said that the government would put more resources into developing Chinese medicine, and claimed Chinese medicine is an integral part of the health care system in Hong Kong.[40] Lo said that "Chinese medicine has been involved in the whole process of pandemic prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation."[41]

Public hospitals

On 29 October 2022, Lo said that the government may implement a minimum period of time in which healthcare professionals must work at a public hospital before they can leave.[42] This caused an uproar among healthcare professionals, according to the president of the Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association.[43]

Cigarettes and tobacco

In November 2022, it was reported that Lo was considering a lifetime ban of tobacco products to anyone born after 2009.[44]

Personal life

Lo owns a residential property in the United Kingdom with his wife,[45] along with 3 properties in Hong Kong.[46]

Lo is a voting member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.[47]

In September 2022, he got his fourth shot of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.[48]

References

  1. ^ "盧寵茂深圳灣口岸視察 稱要檢測市民排45分鐘作登記是太慢". 頭條日報. 2022-07-10. Lo holding Macau Resident ID Card
  2. ^ The Hong Kong Basic Law required secretaries of bureaux shall renounce their foreign right of abode.
  3. ^ "北京大学医学部客座教授名录". 北京大学医学部. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-12. Lo was displayed as having Portuguese nationality in 2002
  4. ^ "Department of Surgery of the University of Hong Kong". 2022-07-10.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: Hong Kong could see quarantine-free travel by November with conditions: minister". South China Morning Post. 2022-07-13. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  6. ^ a b "HK can't scrap all travel restrictions right now: Lo - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  7. ^ a b Li, Almond (2022-09-26). "Covid-19: Relaxing quarantine policy not the same as 'lying flat,' Hong Kong officials say". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  8. ^ a b c Standard, The. "New health chief dismisses quarantine-free travel for Hong Kong". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  9. ^ "Hong Kong's daily cases surpass 4,000, health chief to meet Covid advisers". South China Morning Post. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  10. ^ "Hong Kong health chief dismisses need for real-name registration on Covid app". South China Morning Post. 2022-07-14. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  11. ^ "'Govt hasn't given up on quarantine-free travel idea' - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  12. ^ Standard, The. ""3+4" quarantine model will not affect reopening borders negotiation: John Lee". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  13. ^ Standard, The. "Removing hotel quarantine requires more supporting data: Lo Chung-mau". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  14. ^ a b c "Hong Kong gears up for Covid fight as health chief warns tighter curbs possible". South China Morning Post. 2022-08-26. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  15. ^ "Hong Kong private hospitals "could be punished" over low non-Covid patient intake". South China Morning Post. 2022-08-27. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  16. ^ "'Hong Kong's daily tally could peak at 20,000 but let's not go backwards in policy'". South China Morning Post. 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  17. ^ a b "Health chief slams report on quarantine row; Hong Kong logs 10,683 Covid cases". South China Morning Post. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  18. ^ "Hong Kong scraps temperature checks after US consulate's warning to citizens". South China Morning Post. 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  19. ^ Standard, The. "Manufacturers leader claim to suffer loss but experts hesitate about '0+7' scheme". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  20. ^ "'One-tone approach': why Hong Kong's health experts have been told to keep mum". South China Morning Post. 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  21. ^ a b c d "Covid the same as flu? Hong Kong health chief accuses experts of 'misleading' public". South China Morning Post. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  22. ^ Standard, The. "'Someone' dragging HK behind on road to normalcy, former Hospital Authority chief says". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-09-16.
  23. ^ "Scrap quarantine as Covid is endemic: Yuen Kwok-yung - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  24. ^ a b Standard, The. "Not time for '0+0': Lo Chung-mau". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  25. ^ "HK's daily Covid caseload drops below 4,000 - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  26. ^ a b c d "Hong Kong not ready to remove all Covid travel curbs, health minister says". South China Morning Post. 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  27. ^ Standard, The. "City to keep opening up unless new variant arises: Lo Chung-mau ". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-09-29.
  28. ^ Standard, The. "Lawmaker questions govt’s legal basis to invalidate suspected fraudulent jab exemptions". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  29. ^ Ho, Kelly (2022-10-05). "Hong Kong lawmaker questions legal basis of invalidating Covid-19 jab exemptions from arrested doctors". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  30. ^ Standard, The. "Cheung Chau resident files judicial review against decision to invalidate 20,000 vax exemptions". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  31. ^ Li, Almond (2022-10-11). "Hong Kong court blocks gov't from invalidating Covid-19 jab exemptions issued by arrested doctors". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  32. ^ Ho, Kelly (2022-10-21). "Hong Kong gov't has no power to invalidate Covid-19 jab exemptions issued by arrested doctors, court rules". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  33. ^ "Hong Kong government set to amend law to cancel suspicious Covid jab exemptions". South China Morning Post. 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  34. ^ "Hong Kong moves to nullify 20,000 Covid jab exemptions after law changed". South China Morning Post. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  35. ^ Standard, The. "'Judicial review king' strikes again over vax waivers invalidation". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  36. ^ "Trail runners claim Covid restrictions 'inconsistent, unfair, illogical'". South China Morning Post. 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  37. ^ "Mask order still necessary, says Hong Kong's health chief". chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  38. ^ "Doctors "humiliated" medical sector: Lo Chung-mau - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  39. ^ a b "Talk delivered on President's speech". Hong Kong's Information Services Department (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  40. ^ Standard, The. "Health Secretary offers resources for development of Chinese medicine in Hong Kong". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  41. ^ Standard, The. "More resources vow in TCM push". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  42. ^ Standard, The. "Push to lock docs down to hospitals amid shortage". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  43. ^ Standard, The. "Uproar among medics as govt mulls mandatory public sector work". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  44. ^ Standard, The. "Hong Kong could ban cigarettes for future generations". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  45. ^ Standard, The. "Financial Services Secretary tops the interests declaration with seven properties". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  46. ^ Li, Almond (2022-08-12). "Treasury chief biggest property owner among Hong Kong top officials, gov't information reveals". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  47. ^ Standard, The. "Crunch looms in rare race to join the club". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  48. ^ Li, Almond (2022-09-22). "Hong Kong health chief gets Covid-19 and winter flu jabs in one sitting, urges public to follow suit". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
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