Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor postponed her next policy address just two days before its originally scheduled date of Oct 14 to Nov 25, saying she intended to await for Beijing’s approval of some proposed new measures and to include them in new policy address.

The policy address is expected to cover topics such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the government’s plans for getting Hong Kong’s economy back on its feet (most likely with the help of Beijing).

In lieu of the scheduled event, she led a delegation of her senior government officials to Beijing for a meeting with Vice-Premier Han Zheng and other central government officials.

It was hoped that this crucial policy address would have been delivered as originally planned. Right now, we need the SAR government to secure an agreement that will allow us to reopen our boundaries with the mainland, and soon.

The need to reopen our boundaries is not only for the sake of revitalizing our moribund tourist sector, but for our tens of thousands of residents who have families across the boundary, and the mainland residents who have family over here.

Sadly, the travel restrictions in place since January mean many families remain separated from one another, which is detrimental to their mental and emotional well-being.

If we want a unilateral or — best case scenario — a bilateral boundary opened with the mainland again, then we need to step up our measures, get to zero local infection, and show our neighbors to the north that Hong Kong is safe and open for business

For those who are indefinitely trapped in Hong Kong, it may seem like a good place to be, but that isn’t the case.

On the surface, life is returning to the city as people are going out to eat and shop again. The sight of people queuing for taxis is a welcome one and a sign of normality, but this is merely a flash in the pan and it will likely disappear in an instant.

We can’t forget the sorry state of our currently unstable economy, and although people may be out shopping again it won’t do enough to refill the many vacant retail spaces in many districts like Mong Kok and Causeway Bay.

And let’s not forget about big brands like Cathay Dragon going under, and the many other businesses in the retail and restaurant sectors that have collapsed. The coronavirus crisis has led to closure after closure of restaurants, shops, and travel agencies; and it will continue long after COVID-19 dissipates.

Unemployment now stands above 6 percent, nearly doubling from the previous level; and this figure does not include those who are currently in furlough, and is likely to increase with time.

It’s an even more depressing picture for young graduates and those in their 20s, as the unemployment rate for this demographic group currently stands at 25 percent. There’s no doubt the number will also soar in the coming months.

If there is any hope of putting some life back into our economy, we need the central government’s help.

The Chinese mainland has had the virus under control, so if anything, mainland residents are taking a far greater risk coming to Hong Kong. Therefore, we need to do everything in our power to show the central government that we can make it safe for mainland residents.

A unilateral travel corridor is a strong possibility; this would allow mainland residents to travel to Hong Kong freely without having to quarantine. And while in Hong Kong they can enjoy the city as they please; this means they can eat and shop to their heart’s content.

If we are to make this a reality and get the virus under control, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel but only need to look north for inspiration. This means mandatory universal testing to identify hidden chains of infection, contact tracing, followed by treatment and isolation of those who are carriers.

The voluntary Universal Community Testing Programme was a flop because we can’t sit and wait around for people to volunteer themselves for testing. We need to take decisive action, and we need to take it now.

When the “pan-democrats” conducted their “primary” voting from July 11-12 and 600,000 voters visited polling stations, a second wave of infections came into being 10 days after that event. While we cannot blame this single occurrence for the sudden rise in infections, we cannot ignore the correlation between that event and the second wave.

In cases such as the aforementioned, we need stricter protocols in place that prevent infection spikes and — in more sensitive cases — ensure anonymity in carriers.

Qingdao instituted an effective emergency health protocol that cut infection chains among its population of 10 million. After instituting universal testing for all of its residents, it used contact tracing to identify carriers so that it could isolate them and treat them as soon as possible.

The solution is staring us in the face: Universal testing is the way forward. If a city like Qingdao can test 10 million people, then what is stopping us from testing 7.5 million Hong Kong residents?

Therefore, I am calling on the government, with the support of all Hong Kong residents, to push for universal testing and do what it can to restimulate our economy. Otherwise, there is no telling how much more damage will be done to our fair city.

It is clear that if Lam intends to reopen our boundaries with the mainland, the central government must prioritize the safety of mainland residents first and foremost; reopening their boundaries to Hong Kong now would be dangerous. Until the central government can be sure that Hong Kong is safe and have COVID-19 under control, it should not let Hong Kong residents into the mainland.

If we want a unilateral or — best case scenario — a bilateral boundary opened with the mainland again, then we need to step up our measures, get to zero local infection, and show our neighbors to the north that Hong Kong is safe and open for business.

The author is president of Wisdom Hong Kong, a think tank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.