No Need To Shut Down Kwai Chung Port, Unions Say

An infectious diseases expert on Monday agreed with local trade unions that there’s no need to shut down the Kwai Tsing Container Terminal despite a growing cluster of coronavirus cases there.

The number of confirmed cases at the Terminal almost doubled on Sunday to 63 – most of them being employees of Wang Kee Port Operation Services.

Chinese University expert Professor David Hui said workers likely picked up the virus from communal facilities at the terminal where workers rest and sleep, or directly from crew members from ships docked at the port.

He thinks it's enough to just suspend the operations of the affected firms, disinfect the facilities, and test all potentially exposed terminal workers there.

"Closing the terminal is quite a big problem for Hong Kong, because a lot of the cargo actually bring in a lot of useful materials for Hong Kong. If you close the whole cargo terminal, there will be a lot of products that we are not able to get access to. So I think we just need to close the resting rooms and associated [companies] that have been confirmed to have the cases."

Trade unions gave a similar assessment.

The chairman of the Container Transportation Employees General Union, Chan Dik-sau, said besides a thorough clean-up, companies at the terminal should provide more resting rooms for workers, and implement new measures to ensure adequate social distancing.

Chan noted that the moment, freight personnel can work for long periods of between 24 and 72 hours, and they can share rooms with dozens of other people during their rest periods.

He also urged the authorities to give HK$10,000 in emergency funds to employees of Wang Kee who have been ordered to undergo a 14-day quarantine, noting that they are paid by the day and as such would not earn anything during this period.

An organizer from the Confederation of Trade Unions, Wong Yu-loy, also said it's a good opportunity for companies to improve staff resting rooms.

Wong said many workers sleep on bunk beds at these facilities, and there are usually at least 20 people inside at any one time – increasing the risk of cross-infection.

He said there should be some changes in the schedules to allow for these communal rooms – which are open 24-hours a day – to be disinfected.

He added that there should also be a limit placed on how many people can be there at any one time.