This is addressed to whoever is in charge in the overall management of Covid-19 isolation centres in Hong Kong. First, I want to express my gratitude to and admiration for the Hong Kong authorities and how they have been handling the Covid-19 outbreak. I arrived back in Hong Kong on June 18 on an evacuation flight and I was thoroughly impressed with how efficient the airport staff were at handling testing for the virus. They must have received results very quickly, as we heard three people on our flight had tested positive – and thus it was certainly very necessary to make sure that all passengers were kept in isolation for two weeks. Transfer to Fo Tan was very swift and we were assigned “rooms” which actually are flats, originally allocated to people who were unfortunate enough to have their longed-for housing confiscated by the government for several months. These places are waiting to be finished with proper flooring and furniture. It is totally understandable that the government should not purchase furniture that will have to be disposed of later. However, walking around on cement floors is not pleasant, nor is there even anything where items could be stored during these 14 days of confinement, if not “imprisonment”. Boredom in an enclosed space: Hong Kong’s coronavirus quarantine camps Given the rather high temperatures these days, having only one simple floor fan does not improve a difficult situation. There are “welcome gifts”, and items such as buckets, a huge basin and brooms, that make it possible to keep the space clean, but no doormat, bath towel or dishcloth. The most difficult problem seems to be the lack of cooperation between the various departments trying to manage the situation. The food chosen for me has been inedible and, for six days, I returned the trays of food untouched. Instead of contacting the caterers who have been providing unacceptable food and asking the inmate if he or she would like a substitute, the uneaten food was ignored. Hongkongers returning from Pakistan protest over quarantine camp food When family members or friends deliver much-needed items, the staff insist on moral judgment – no beer, no knives for cutting cheese or fruit? Are they trying to change the ingrained habits of an 80-year-old “inmate”? I am really impressed with the government, but shocked as to how unprofessional the everyday management here at the centre is, and how much money is being wasted. Inmates like me are unhappy, untrained staff don’t seem to know what they are doing, there seems to be no cooperation between different sections, all because of a lack of proper management. So much could be improved with just some management oversight. Anybody listening? Brigitte Cummings, Sai Kung
