'People With Amber Code Should Be Allowed To Work'

Labour minister Chris Sun said on Sunday employers should not prevent people with an amber code on their LeaveHomeSafe app from going to work, and that workers shouldn't have their pay docked either.

Currently, after inbound travellers have spent three nights at a quarantine hotel, they'll receive an amber health code for the next four days under medical surveillance during which they are free to return home and go to work.

Speaking on a TV programme, Sun said even if employers tell staff not to come to work, they are still legally bound to grant them paid leave.

"People with the amber code should be allowed to go to work because the conditions exist for them to do so. Of course they need to observe certain Covid rules at work, such as wearing masks at all times, and eating alone. If these rules are followed, employers should allow them to go to work," he said.

"But if for some reason they are not able to go to work, employers should still pay them."

Meanwhile, the secretary for labour and welfare said officials are working to improve elderly care, such as recruiting more care home staff and strengthening support for caregivers.

He added that the government hopes to provide more residential care places through a multi-pronged approach, which includes reserving 5 percent of public housing residential areas for welfare purposes and requiring private developers to build more elderly homes.