By Vir B. Lumicao
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| Chan tells legislators quarantine exemptions are necessary to keep HK going |
Hong Kong has recorded more
than 200 confirmed coronavirus cases involving air and sea crew members, but
has not kept tabs of cases involving government officials, such as foreign diplomats.
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan disclosed this in
the Legislative Council Question Hour today, Aug 18, in answer to a query by
LegCo Member Chan Cun-ying.
Responding to a question from Legco member Chan Cun-ying, Chan
said the Chief Secretary has exempted certain categories of persons from
quarantine to keep the society and economy running.
These exempted persons include cross-boundary goods vehicle
drivers, aircraft crew members, and government officials, she said.
“These officials include consuls general or equivalent of
the consulates general in Hong Kong and their
immediate family members,” Chan said.
But their exemption upon arrival in Hong
Kong is subject to certain conditions, including regular testing,
self-isolation or restricted movement, the secretary said.
“These conditions are adjusted from time to time in
accordance with the global and local epidemic situation and the risk assessment
of respective exemption categories,” Chan said, adding these people also are
subject to medical surveillance while in Hong Kong.
The exemption of foreign diplomats and their families was on
the spotlight last month when three minor children of a Saudi Arabian consular
officer in Hong Kong infected with the Delta
variant were found to have breached their home isolation.
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| The diplomats' children left their Taikoo home where they were supposed to isolate |
During the investigation, the Department of Health
discovered that the diplomat’s children had left their home in Taikoo Shing
where they were meant to be in isolation.
“The DH took immediate action to revoke their exemption
status and transfer them to undergo compulsory quarantine. The Protocol
Division also contacted the relevant consulate general immediately,” Chan said.
“The consulate general assured that it would fully cooperate
with the quarantine measures imposed by the government and has reminded its
officials to comply with the relevant quarantine requirements,” she said.
Chan said the Hong Kong government
has reviewed the border control arrangements for exempted persons and has
issued letters to respective consulates general to advise relevant persons to
strictly comply with the exemption conditions.
She said the government does not have information on the
exemption arrangements by other jurisdictions for officials of their consulates
general and their immediate family members.
For other government officials carrying out duties in Hong
Kong and those who have performed official duties in places outside China or
Taiwan on the 21 days prior to arrival in Hong Kong, they must be subject to
self-isolation upon arrival in the SAR, Chan said.
She said from July 1 last year to August 6, there had been
145 air crew members and 112 seafarers who were confirmed Covid-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the CHP confirmed three new Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong today, Aug 18, all of them imported.
The three are a woman from Turkey
aged 39, a 31-year-old seaman from Indonesia,
and a man aged 27 who arrived from the United States. The woman and the
man from the US
were asymptomatic.
The woman arrived on Aug 13 via Qatar Airways flight QR818
and tested positive on Day 3 of her quarantine at Dorsett Hotel in Wan Chai.
The man from the US
tested positive on arrival at Hong Kong
airport.
Staff from the Department of Health said the seaman was on
board a ship that had been anchored in Hong Kong
waters for several days when he fell ill.
He was confirmed positive yesterday, but his ship had
already left Hong Kong for an unknown
destination.
The new patients took Hong Kong’s
Covid-19 tally to 12,043.
