Advertisement
Coronavirus: HK$800 million reusable mask plan flounders as materials, factory space prove difficult to source in Hong Kong
- Tech chief says raw materials may need to be sourced in mainland China or overseas while setting objective standards for testing remains an issue
- Rent is also being temporarily waived for tenants of the city’s Science Park and Cyberport technology hubs
2-MIN READ2-MIN
A day after government attempts to boost local mask production were revealed to be flailing, Hong Kong’s technology chief conceded a plan to produce reusable versions was faring no better, citing the struggle to source raw materials or clean factory space.
Speaking on a Saturday radio programme, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung promised to look at sourcing materials from mainland China and overseas, while vowing to support tech companies amid the city’s battle with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
The virus has so far infected 70 people in Hong Kong, two fatally, and spurred a citywide scramble for protective gear that has routinely left store shelves barren.
Advertisement
The HK$800 million innovation scheme is part of the much larger HK$30 billion government relief package approved on Friday, which is aimed at bolstering the city’s health care sector amid the epidemic and bailing out industries that have been slammed by the financial downturn.
Advertisement
Yang said a blueprint for the reusable surgical mask was ready, but Hong Kong lacked the necessary fabric and raw components to produce the covering. Other challenges included a shortage of clean factory environments and the difficulty of setting an objective standard for testing.
“Is it 90 times, or how many times, that the mask can be washed and reused?” he said. “It is a new product, so there will of course be challenges.”
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x