CE Rebuts Calls For Covid Test Boycott

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday dismissed comments made by a hospital workers' union which earlier called on the public to boycott the government's universal Covid-19 testing programme due to concerns over its safety and efficacy.

Speaking ahead of her weekly Executive Council meeting, the Chief Executive said she herself, along with other officials and Exco members, got tested on Tuesday morning. She said that she felt safe, and the process was simple and convenient.

Lam once again stressed the tests are completely safe and well-intended, and used the weekly press briefing to rebut arguments made by the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA), which called on the public to boycott the testing scheme.

Among the arguments put forward by the HAEA are that there should be a mandatory stay-at-home order or a lockdown along with the universal testing scheme, and that the centres are too close to residential homes.

The group has also warned of false negatives. And it said closing the border would be the most effective way of slashing the number of Covid-19 cases.

Lam insisted people won't accept a lockdown and want to continue to enjoy freedom of movement.

She also said Hong Kong residents who are currently not in the city may choose to come back to the SAR via the few border checkpoints that are still open.

On claims that the testing centres are too close to residential areas, Lam said that the criteria used to determine their location include whether there's sufficient space and public accessibility, and that all the centres were assessed by the Department of Health.

“I hope the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance could objectively and fairly look at the efforts of the SAR government. They should embrace their professional expertise and urge the public not to turn their back on the programme because the programme would be beneficial to the community as a whole,” she said.

When asked if people's distrust of the government had affected turnout for the scheme, she said: "I don't think it has anything to do with the government's popularity, but it does have something to do with people – who either because they don't understand the details of the programme, the procedures, the safeguards that we have put in place – that they try to cause worries and fears amongst the people so they will have less confidence in coming forward."