'Forced Covid Tests Infringe On People's Rights'

A number of civic groups have criticised the government’s mandatory Covid-19 testing scheme, saying it violates human rights and freedoms, and may put people off from visiting doctors altogether.

Officials announced on Saturday that it is introducing the compulsory tests in a bid to stop a fourth wave of coronavirus infections in Hong Kong.

From Sunday, people with symptoms, those linked to an outbreak, staff working in jobs deemed as high risk, and people completing quarantine will be ordered to undergo tests.

Those who refuse could be jailed for up to six months and face a fine of up to HK$25,000.

But civic groups, unions and district councillors told a press conference on Sunday that the mandatory tests will infringe on human rights and freedoms.

They said while the government can encourage and appeal to people to take the tests voluntarily, it's wrong to compel people by making it a crime to refuse a test

"The voluntary testing is the way to go. The mandatory [testing], will it be a surplus, or will it be an unnecessary policy?" questioned Jeff Au from the Civil Society Development Resources Centre.

Au said people should have the right to say “no” to the tests, as people's trust in the government is rather low these days, and the administration has yet to address privacy concerns about the data collected through the tests.

He complained about the lack of public consultation for the scheme and said he’s concerned the compulsory tests would eventually be expanded to cover everyone in Hong Kong.

Under the new measures, doctors are also given the power to require suspected Covid patients to get tested.

Cyrus Lau, a nurse from the Hong Kong Allied Health Professionals and Nurses Association, said people with minor illnesses may now have second thoughts about visiting a clinic.

“These penalties would scare away patients seeking medical consultation... If they do [take the tests], they can't even go away freely. They need to stay at a designated place in order to minimise the [potential] spread of the disease," he said, adding that those waiting for their test results may therefore be unable to go to work.

However, financial secretary Paul Chan said compulsory testing is the best option as it delivers great “value for money”.

He wrote on his weekly blog that while the tests may be a little inconvenient, it is necessary to come up with "forceful and comprehensive measures" to stop the epidemic from dealing a further blow to the economy.