Govt Open To All Options On Travellers: Lo Chung-mau

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said on Thursday that scrapping all quarantine and medical surveillance requirements is one option the government will consider when it comes to further opening up the border.

At present, inbound travellers are required to stay at a quarantine hotel for three days, followed by four days of medical surveillance.

There are calls for the government to change the rule to seven days of medical monitoring without hotel quarantine, or even to cancel both measures.

Lo said the government is willing to consider all options.

“The government is considering every option to try to improve our economic activities as well as our connection with the international world,” he said.

“So, we are considering the logistics. At the right time, we will make the announcement with every detail.”

At a media session, Lo was also asked about the criteria for doctors to issue exemption certificates allowing people to use the government's vaccine pass without getting Covid-19 jabs, following the recent arrest of several doctors on suspicion of issuing certificates without examining people.

Lo noted that contraindications for vaccination are rare and said it is therefore “highly suspicious” for some clinics to have issued hundreds or thousands of exemption certificates.

“I must emphasise that as a medical professional, I am deeply disappointed by the action of such [doctors], because we are entrusted by the public and we have the duty to protect our public from public health risks and threats,” he said.