'Covid App May Be Made Mandatory At Risky Venues'

Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit says the government is considering forcing some premises it considers to be at "high risk" of spreading the coronavirus to participate in its app-based contact-tracing scheme.

Users of the "Leave Home Safe" app, launched on Monday, can scan QR codes at places they visit so they can be told if it's later linked to any Covid-19 cases.

While Sit had earlier stressed the scheme is voluntary, he made an about-turn on Saturday, saying officials will consult experts on whether to make it mandatory for venues like restaurants.

“It is only rational that we focus our resources on high-risk venues in order to maximise our anti-epidemic efforts,” he said.

Sit added that around 12,000 premises are already participating in the programme.

"I assure you that we're going to have more shops and restaurants joining the scheme. Up to present moment, we have altogether 7,000 public venues using the Leave Home Safe app, and about 5,000 and more shops and restaurants and all those private venues using the app already."

Meanwhile, the health secretary, Sophia Chan, said authorities are now studying ways to impose more stringent rules on incoming flights, such as stiffer circuit breaker measures, should there be too many coronavirus cases coming from the same place.

She said the government is considering the matter very carefully because the number of Hong Kong residents returning from abroad is expected to surge in the run up to Christmas and the New Year.