Coronavirus: overseas returnees breaking home quarantine in Hong Kong face ‘zero tolerance’ and prosecution
- Carrie Lam vows tough stance on home quarantine breaches, introduced with city facing wave of imported Covid-19 cases
- Four have violated the orders and will be prosecuted, Lam says, as some openly flout the epidemic control measures
Overseas returnees who flout the city’s home quarantine measures will face “zero tolerance” and be prosecuted, Hong Kong’s leader warned on Saturday.
The caution from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor came as Hong Kong again saw a spike in the number of Covid-19 infections over the past few days. Most of the cases have travel history and many are Hongkongers returning from overseas.
With the epicentre of the deadly pandemic shifting from China to Europe, the city is facing a new wave of imported cases.
Lam on Saturday said the authorities had found at least four returnees who had violated the home quarantine order. They had been sent to the government quarantine camp and would face prosecution later.
Earlier, three Hongkongers returning from mainland China were also prosecuted for breaching the order. Their cases would be heard next week.
The chief executive warned people defying the rules they would face “zero tolerance” from the government. They will be prosecuted without warning, she said.