'Mainland Experts Might Inspect HK's Covid Measures'

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said on Sunday that mainland medical experts might visit Hong Kong to inspect anti-epidemic measures here, as expectations mount of the border reopening early next year.

Speaking on a radio programme, Chan said health officials from the mainland and Hong Kong had met and reached a consensus on what the SAR could do to stem Covid-19 cases, so as to avoid transmitting the disease on the mainland, when the border reopens.

Chan said one of the measures the government was considering was making the use of the LeaveHomeSafe app mandatory at more venues to enhance contact tracing.

“It is in the best interest of the entire society to extend the use of LeaveHomeSafe to more premises. Obviously, there are other places where people may go frequently, and places like restaurants where people take off their masks and it's more high-risk," she said.

She noted some had questioned why the government was tightening anti-epidemic rules when Hong Kong didn't have any community infections. But the minister said Hong Kong had to stick to a zero-Covid strategy and guard against imported cases, as the global pandemic situation was serious.