Editorial | Clarity needed as Hong Kong emerges from Covid-19
- Swift policy changes have left doctors and employers unsure of what to do with infected people, who then suffer as a result
Mandatory isolation has been an essential tool to curb coronavirus infections, so much so that the lifting of it has left some doctors and employers unsure of what to do with such patients. They are turned away by some private clinics or are barred from returning to the workplace and suffer loss of wages as a result.
The wary responses are not surprising following an abrupt U-turn by the Hong Kong authorities to live with the contagion. But they raise important labour and legal issues.
Clearer guidelines are needed so stakeholders will not fall foul of the law.
The Post earlier reported that employers in some sectors required infected staff to stay home to protect other workers and the people they serve. Some clinics also reportedly declined face-to-face consultations with such patients, presumably out of fear of becoming infected; while some restaurants refused to serve customers who tested positive.
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Eerie silence falls on Hong Kong's Covid camps as city prepares to end mandatory isolation
The responses underline the wariness among some sectors as public life returns to normal at a pace that some may feel hasty and uncomfortable.
