The SUN HK : CE says 14-day quarantine for new arrivals will remain

By The SUN

Scene at the airport today: More people are leaving due to Covid spread and strict quarantine rules

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has ruled out cutting the 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving from abroad, despite a new discharge criteria put in place by the Centre for Health Protection that allows locally infected patients who have had at least two doses of the vaccine to leave their isolation after testing negative on days six and seven.

“I do appreciate the sort of frustrations of some of the arrivals from overseas that while we are adjusting our own quarantine and isolation policies…we are still adhering to the same quarantine arrangement for inbound travelers,” Mrs Lam said at the press briefing she held Friday.

“This is because of the risk that we must ensure that we will not impose further on the hospitals. As I said, I can understand their frustrations, but at this moment, Hong Kong is facing an unprecedented epidemic. At this point in time my first priority is to ensure that we could protect people in Hong Kong and also protect the public hospital system. To make any relaxation for arrivals which will run any risk in those respects is not something the Chief Executive would like to see.”

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However, she said that after the fifth wave of the epidemic has subsided, she will take another look at border control, particularly for Hong Kong residents who have been unable to come back because of flight bans imposed on nine countries. She said the government will look at mapping out a pathway for their return home.

At the same time, she said the government has no plans of relaxing the most stringent social gathering rules imposed as the surge in Covid cases intensified towards the end of last month.

Mrs Lam said the measures remain a key part of the anti-pandemic fight. Despite recent figures indicating the fifth wave has peaked after topping more than 50,000 daily infections she said it was too early to predict a downward trend.

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But she said the government will keep an eye on the situation and revise policies as it sees fit.

The strict measures which remain in place until Apr 20, includes suspension of face-to-face classes, allowing no more than two persons to gather in public, and the closing of most venues where people tend to gather like bars, karaokes, cinemas and amusement parks.

Asked about a report that said a study by the University of Hong Kong had challenged the effectiveness of the policy banning dine-ins at restaurants after 6pm, the CE said she was surprised to hear about it.

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But she said HKU’s dean of medicine Prof Gabriel Leung had told someone in her staff that his statement was taken out of context, and that he could be quoted on this.

The CE added that “Actually, if you thought through it, it's not quite logical. If we don't allow people to come in a restaurant, that must have a better effect than allowing people to come in, take off their masks and then have their meals together.”

Mrs Lam was joined at the daily briefing by the Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong.

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Nip, who oversees Hong Kong’s vaccination program, said the government is aiming to vaccinate all elderly residents in care homes by Mar 18. The move is prompted by the high infection rate and mortality among residents in such facilities.

He said around 89 percent of people aged 60 to 69 have received at least one dose of a vaccine, but the rate dipped to only 79% among those between the ages of 70 to 79.

Of those aged 80 and above who are at most risk, only 54% have had at least one jab.

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He said about 40,000 residents in 970 care homes have already been inoculated, and outreach teams will go to the remaining 130 homes to ensure those who are medically fit to receive the vaccine are also jabbed.

Elderly people who live alone will also be visited at a later time so they could also be vaccinated at home.

Law said the reason many elderly residents in the care homes were not vaccinated was because of the resistance from relatives. About 10 percent of family members are said to oppose the vaccination of their elderly relative.