Hong Kong: Hong Kong leader john Took On Tuesday defended the city’s plans to implement a health code that would more accurately restrict the movements of inbound travelers and people infected with COVID-19, dismissing concerns that the system could be used as a political or social control tool. can be used as
Lee, who spoke at a regular news conference on Tuesday, said the health code plan is part of the city’s aim to adopt “precise strategies to reduce the scope of sanctions.”
“We are a law-abiding place, the government will definitely follow the law,” he said. “Any measure taken to combat the pandemic will not be used for other purposes that are not going to happen.”
He was speaking a day after the city’s health chief unveiled plans to implement a health code system in Hong Kong where people who are infected with Covid-19 will receive a red code while hotels under quarantine. A yellow code will be received. The movement of those receiving such codes will be restricted.
The city’s health code measures are being considered amid a surge of Covid-19 infections after battling the city’s fifth and worst outbreak, which brought its cumulative tally to more than one million infections and more than 9,000 dead.
More than 2,700 cases were reported in Hong Kong on Tuesday. On an average, more than a thousand infections have been reported daily in the city since mid-June.
The planned health code system has sparked concerns over privacy and social controls after Chinese media reported that mainland Chinese authorities have changed their health code to prevent residents from participating in a planned protest at a bank in Henan province. system is used.
Lee said the health code system is a way of “early detection” of potential infections while affecting the least number of people.
“Our aim is to allow most people to carry on with their lives with minimal restrictions,” Lee said, adding that only those infected with COVID-19 and inbound travelers would be restricted by the health code.
Despite Lee’s assurances about the health code system, some Hong Kong residents remain wary of it.
“It’s a big privacy issue, it’s like having a target on the back of people who get red or yellow codes,” he said. wong Wing-Tsang, 33 years old Hong Kong resident. “Here, there is still an attitude where people with Covid-19 are treated as outcasts.”
Wong said the system doesn’t seem particularly widespread, especially if people who are infected with COVID-19 choose not to self-report their symptoms.
“We have had these restrictions for two to three years, but nothing has improved,” she said.
Li, who became the city’s leader on July 1, has been vocal about taking an intolerant approach to the coronavirus, like China’s “zero-COVID” policy. The city is one of the few places, along with mainland China, where much of the world has opened up to maintain restrictions such as mandatory quarantine periods.
“In the long run, I think we have to be realistic about what kind of risks we face,” Lee said.
But some experts say the health code system has a very limited effect on preventing the spread of Omicron variants, which are driving outbreaks to the rest of the world.
“Look at the objective facts, in mainland China and Macao, they have had a health code system in place for quite some time and yet we are seeing a variety of imports in different cities,” said Dr. Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory institute specialist. “Covid-19 is not something we can prevent using a health code and that is the objective reality.”
He said officials should work on increasing vaccination rates among high-risk groups such as the elderly and the very young, and keeping outbreaks under control if the city wants to open up to the rest of the world. It has to start first by easing social-distancing restrictions to build immunity among its residents.
Lee, who spoke at a regular news conference on Tuesday, said the health code plan is part of the city’s aim to adopt “precise strategies to reduce the scope of sanctions.”
“We are a law-abiding place, the government will definitely follow the law,” he said. “Any measure taken to combat the pandemic will not be used for other purposes that are not going to happen.”
He was speaking a day after the city’s health chief unveiled plans to implement a health code system in Hong Kong where people who are infected with Covid-19 will receive a red code while hotels under quarantine. A yellow code will be received. The movement of those receiving such codes will be restricted.
The city’s health code measures are being considered amid a surge of Covid-19 infections after battling the city’s fifth and worst outbreak, which brought its cumulative tally to more than one million infections and more than 9,000 dead.
More than 2,700 cases were reported in Hong Kong on Tuesday. On an average, more than a thousand infections have been reported daily in the city since mid-June.
The planned health code system has sparked concerns over privacy and social controls after Chinese media reported that mainland Chinese authorities have changed their health code to prevent residents from participating in a planned protest at a bank in Henan province. system is used.
Lee said the health code system is a way of “early detection” of potential infections while affecting the least number of people.
“Our aim is to allow most people to carry on with their lives with minimal restrictions,” Lee said, adding that only those infected with COVID-19 and inbound travelers would be restricted by the health code.
Despite Lee’s assurances about the health code system, some Hong Kong residents remain wary of it.
“It’s a big privacy issue, it’s like having a target on the back of people who get red or yellow codes,” he said. wong Wing-Tsang, 33 years old Hong Kong resident. “Here, there is still an attitude where people with Covid-19 are treated as outcasts.”
Wong said the system doesn’t seem particularly widespread, especially if people who are infected with COVID-19 choose not to self-report their symptoms.
“We have had these restrictions for two to three years, but nothing has improved,” she said.
Li, who became the city’s leader on July 1, has been vocal about taking an intolerant approach to the coronavirus, like China’s “zero-COVID” policy. The city is one of the few places, along with mainland China, where much of the world has opened up to maintain restrictions such as mandatory quarantine periods.
“In the long run, I think we have to be realistic about what kind of risks we face,” Lee said.
But some experts say the health code system has a very limited effect on preventing the spread of Omicron variants, which are driving outbreaks to the rest of the world.
“Look at the objective facts, in mainland China and Macao, they have had a health code system in place for quite some time and yet we are seeing a variety of imports in different cities,” said Dr. Leung Chi-chiu, a respiratory institute specialist. “Covid-19 is not something we can prevent using a health code and that is the objective reality.”
He said officials should work on increasing vaccination rates among high-risk groups such as the elderly and the very young, and keeping outbreaks under control if the city wants to open up to the rest of the world. It has to start first by easing social-distancing restrictions to build immunity among its residents.