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Coronavirus: Carrie Lam puts brakes on Hong Kong’s new helper vaccine policy amid firestorm of criticism
- City leader has asked labour secretary to review scheme and hold discussions with consulates from countries that provide most domestic workers
- Chief executive also says authorities are reviewing whether full vaccination should play a role in determining mandatory quarantine lengths
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Hong Kong’s leader has suspended a controversial new policy that would have forced all foreign domestic workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before their contracts could be renewed, amid a diplomatic backlash and complaints of discrimination.
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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday said the policy would be reviewed, while health authorities would also look into whether the 21-day mandatory quarantine for residents of any building where mutated strains of the coronavirus were discovered could be shortened if they had already received both doses of their vaccine.
Mandatory mass testing ordered by the government for domestic helpers uncovered third more cases of a variant infection among them on Tuesday.
The discovery of one case at the Allway Gardens private housing estate in Tsuen Wan prompted authorities to issue quarantine orders for residents of more than 200 flats in the affected block. Two buildings, the Royalton in Pok Fu Lam and Kornhill Garden Block N2, were later locked down as a result of the other infections.
In another development that could have a potential bearing on the latest plans for a travel bubble with Hong Kong, Singapore announced it would impose 21 days of quarantine on most inbound travellers after a recent flare-up of Covid-19 cases.
Hong Kong is still among seven jurisdictions considered safe enough to be exempted from the extended quarantine so far, and officials on both sides said they would monitor further developments.
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