Health Code Launch Pushed Back Amid Covid Wave

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said the government has pushed back the launch of its health code system that will enable cross-border travel to the mainland, due to the new Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong.

Speaking at a special house committee meeting at Legco on Wednesday, Cheung said the government had originally intended to launch the system last week, to allow quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong for people who have tested negative for Covid-19.

He said the government will continue with preparations for now, and that the scheme will be launched when the epidemic eases.

But pro-establishment lawmakers told Cheung they think the authorities can first roll out the technical infrastructure for the plan even before it’s put into use.

The plan calls for the creation of a database where users can upload test results from designated institutions.

They could then access their results through a mobile app at border crossings to prove they have recently tested negative for the coronavirus.

Jeffrey Lam from the Business and Professionals Alliance said the system can be launched first so it’s ready for use once it's safe to open up the border for quarantine-free travel.

Junius Ho also suggested that the health code be implemented before the Legco elections in September so that voters can return to Hong Kong to cast their ballots.

The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang responded that they would discuss how to handle the issue with their mainland counterparts.

But Civic Passion's Cheng Chung-tai opposed the idea, and accused the pro-establishment camp of using the health code as a way to try to win more votes.

"I don’t think this is a correct and responsible consideration," Cheng said, adding that public health should be the top priority for the government.

Other lawmakers who expressed concerns include medical sector lawmaker Pierre Chan, who said that a number of people are already exempt from mandatory quarantine in Hong Kong.

Chan said that he was worried about the health code proposal, saying that even if someone displays pneumonia symptoms, they may need to be tested several times before they yield a positive Covid-19 result.

Meanwhile, Michael Luk from the Federation of Trade Unions said the most important thing is to control the epidemic in Hong Kong before launching the health code.

Luk criticised the authorities for not taking action against crowds who voted in the pan-democrats' Legco primaries over the weekend, saying a ban of large gatherings is still at place.

The Chief Secretary responded that the authorities were looking into all related complaints.