Letters | Quarantining letters: Covid-19 rules in prisons are tough on children with incarcerated parents

Readers discuss the coronavirus measures in prisons that limit family visits and slow down correspondence, Macau’s efforts to contain its latest outbreak, and Hong Kong’s growing pandemic fatigue

Coronavirus Hong Kong

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 7 Jul 2022

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I write with reference to the current prison policy which requires all incoming letters to inmates to be quarantined for three days (often longer in our experience), which seems illogical given Covid-19 is not primarily spread through surface transmission and the negligible risk of surface transmission can be mitigated through adequate hand hygiene.

This has created a huge emotional toll on many underaged children whose parents are being detained as they cannot reach their parents easily at an age when having parental guidance is crucial for their development. They have to wait for two weeks, often even longer with public holidays, to get a response from their parents.

This emotional distress is further compounded by the limits on social visits from four times a month pre-pandemic (including the two additional visits allowed upon request) to twice a month under the current policy, in the name of mitigating the spread of Covid-19. This simply does not seem proportionate given visitors are only allowed to speak to inmates through a screen with no contact or shared breath permitted. They are also required to take an RAT test and wear a surgical mask.

While limiting inmates’ visitation allowance can be regarded as part of the legal punitive sanctions placed on them – the heavy price of breaching the law – such constraints have had a huge impact on families, who basically have to pick names out of a hat to decide who gets to visit their loved ones each month. This puts a huge burden on underage children in particular.

I have emailed the Correctional Services Department and only received a templated, 50-word response.

W. Chan, Tseung Kwan O

Keeping a lid on Macau’s Covid-19 outbreak

The recent Covid-19 outbreak that erupted in Macau shows how important precautionary measures and quick actions are in dealing with a highly contagious disease.

As soon as an outbreak was identified, officials rolled out the first round of compulsory universal testing, soon followed by a second round. Their rapid response has no doubt helped to limit the spread of the virus in the community.

But with the number of infections rising every day, many people are worried about being infected with Omicron and being placed in quarantine. Macau people can do nothing but trust and obey the government’s instructions.

With a population of about 680,000 and an area of about 33 sq km, Macau is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It cannot afford to lose control of the spread of the virus, for this could lead to a collapse of its healthcare system. Learning a lesson from Hong Kong’s fifth Covid-19 wave that claimed thousands of lives, the Macau government understands time is crucial for containing an outbreak.

With the efforts of the government and full cooperation of residents, we have already taken effective actions to minimise the number of cases. So far, there have been two deaths from the coronavirus and several hundred infections in Macau.

No measure is perfect, so criticism of the government is inevitable. All people, however, should show understanding to anti-epidemic personnel on the front line, in particular the doctors whose tasks are arduous and perilous.

Whether we should adopt a zero-Covid approach or live with the virus is a question bewildering many people around the world. There is no definitive answer.

Barnaby Ieong, Macau

Still no pandemic relief for Hongkongers

Having been isolated from the outside world for two years now, Hongkongers are losing hope. During Hong Kong’s fifth wave, I was hopeful that the city would reopen after battling the outbreak. But I was disappointed.

More than 90 per cent of the population has received at least one dose of the vaccine now, and more than 1 million people have been infected. We paid the costs of building a safety net. But the door to the outside world is still closed.

My son will come back from the UK this summer. He has had three vaccine doses. I really cannot understand why he needs to be quarantined. What is the point of being vaccinated? We have two toilets at home, and all our family members have also had three dose of the vaccine. Quarantining at home would present no danger to society.

Can the government be more rational? Otherwise many families will suffer.

Kwok Yuk Ping Corinna, Tseung Kwan O

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