Every morning in Shanghai, I see flocks of pigeons circling above the sprawling wet market near my home. There have often been times when a stray bird has found its way onto my balcony. But in the recent weeks as more and more people in the city were brought down by H7N9 bird flu disease, the pigeons stopped coming to my balcony.

This sent a reassuring message that the Shanghai municipal government is taking no chances in containing the spread of the disease which remains little understood. Although there is no indication that it is transmittable between humans, such a danger cannot be ruled out, warned Zhong Nanshan, director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases.

It's not clear what else the Shanghai government did to keep pigeons from the sky other than requiring all pigeon raisers, including the park authorities, to lock up the birds in cages. But its effectiveness is there for all to see. There is not one bird to be found in People's Square, where feeding the pigeons is a favorite pastime for many elderly citizens.

What's more, the Shanghai government did something that the Hong Kong government lacks the will to do, despite the fact that it, too, is fully aware of the threat to public health. As soon as the cause of the disease was identified, the Shanghai government immediately banned the sale of live chickens, prized by local food connoisseurs as much as their Hong Kong counterparts.

There were reports earlier this week that Shanghai health officials were seriously considering making the ban permanent. The proposal, so far, hasn't generated any public protest, although some elderly Shanghai gourmets were quoted by the local media as saying they sorely missed the taste of fresh chicken meat.

Of course, all the bird markets in town were ordered to shutter up and the large community of bird aficionados told to keep their pets at home rather than following the traditional ritual of taking them out for a breath of fresh morning air in the parks where they can practice their singing. Oh, one more thing. There is a hotline for citizens to call if they are worried their health is being threatened by neighbors who keep birds as pets in the house.

Nobody is accusing the Shanghai government of over-reacting because people understand that a responsible government cannot be too cautious when life is at stake. This latest bird flu outbreak has claimed 18 victims in Shanghai, of whom 6 people have died.

The Hong Kong government has said that it is well prepared for the threat of the disease spreading to Hong Kong. So far, the government preparedness is limited to making available sufficient medical facilities to care for the victims in case of an outbreak.

Worried about the looming threat of a bird flu outbreak, Hong Kong people rightfully demand positive action over prevention. But the government has largely shied away from even talking about the issue, other than reassuring the public there are enough hospital beds and medication to meet an emergency.

That obviously is not good enough. It can be pretty sure that the source of any outbreak would come from live chickens sold in the various wet markets around the city. It is hard to understand what the government is waiting for. The question is how many victims does the disease have to claim and how many lives have to be lost before the government can gather enough courage to take action.

There are times when a responsible government must take action, no matter how unpopular it may seem at that time, or how unnecessary the public might think, for the public good. This is such a time.

The author is a current affairs commentator.

(HK Edition 04/16/2013 page1)