Coronavirus: Hong Kong could start recognising vaccination certificates for foreign domestic helpers this month amid labour shortages
- Domestic workers vaccinated in Philippines, Indonesia unable to enter Hong Kong because their inoculation certificates are not valid here
- Government source says progress in overcoming concerns relating to authorisation, language barriers is being made to relieve acute helper shortages in city
But tensions continued to simmer on Wednesday with the Philippines’ outspoken foreign minister Teodoro Locsin Jnr revealing on social media he would “formally ask” Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor why her officials had been refusing to accept its vaccination records for entry.
“Our vaccination cards are not accepted in Hong Kong because they are not connected to a single source,” the foreign minister tweeted earlier, without elaborating.
Amid a potential diplomatic row, a Hong Kong government source told the Post that talks on recognition were ongoing and local officials were “hopeful” of a resolution by the end of August at the earliest.
However, the source said two issues remained concerning language obstacles on certificates and authorisation processes.
The source said a key issue was the reliability of the mechanisms in both countries for validating vaccination certificates and which authorities were verifying them, adding: “It’s about who is giving the chop.”
