Opinion | Omicron: how the fifth wave highlights flaws in Hong Kong’s pandemic policies
- Use of the ‘Leave Home Safe’ app, hotel quarantine and policy consistency have all come under scrutiny
- The latest outbreak provides a chance to reassess these policies and develop a well-thought-out pandemic management strategy that takes into account its medium- and long-term effects
Since December 9 – at least two weeks before the confirmed case had lunch there on December 27 – the government has mandated stringent use of the app. Yet, when the government announced compulsory testing, six of the 207 patrons could not be located. Attempts to trace them through their Octopus card or credit card records and CCTV footage at the restaurant are still under way.
The question is whether this is a case of a technical glitch in the app or a failure by the customers to undertake the scanning requirements. If the unfavourable reviews of the app on the Google Play store – which mention problems with scanning, frequent crashes and disappearing vaccination records – are any indication, the former cannot be ruled out. In case of the latter, people sometimes evade the scanning requirements before entering venues and are overlooked by staff.
Moreover, some places such as supermarkets and public transport, do not require people to scan the app. Thus, partial execution of the scanning requirements could be as much of a drawback as an app with flawed functionality.