Letters | Hong Kong coronavirus: quarantine hotel fire alarm sounds warning on clearer rules
- We have collectively put Covid-19 on the pedestal of paramount risk, paralysing our ability to think rationally or exercise common sense
- We can’t process trade-offs to quarantining as straightforward as escaping a potential fire, let alone the damage done to children who are confined for 21 days
A fire alarm went off at around 6:45am on July 13 in our quarantine hotel. My wife and I, just returned to Hong Kong a few days ago with a two-month-old infant, were at a loss on what to do. In normal circumstances, we would have swiftly scooped up our baby daughter and dashed for the emergency exit.
In the midst of the fire alarm’s shrill blaring and light-strobing, I called the Department of Health hotline to seek advice on what to do and was met with the most absurd of responses. The responder said they don’t have a policy on what happens if there is a fire alarm during mandatory hotel quarantine.
She suggested staying put and waiting to see what happens or calling the fire services or hotel reception for instructions, as if we ought to be sending out feelers during the emergency and those in each of the more than 100 rooms in the hotel should be figuring it out for themselves.
She even went as far to say this is not something for which the Department of Health is responsible, despite being the body that manages the quarantine programme.
03:02
Coronavirus: Hong Kong extends hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days
I asked whether quarantine restrictions or a real possibility of fire took precedence and received a non-response. This was at best an inability to comprehend a distressing situation or, at worst, an embarrassing abdication of responsibility.