Coronavirus: doctors blame Hong Kong’s outdated IT systems for slowing Covid-19 response, delaying reopening of mainland border
- ‘Electronic health certificate’ plan for cross-border commuters hit by poor storage, sharing of data
- Government’s slow processes, use of faxes, have caused delays for Covid-19 patients, doctors say
Archaic IT systems and bureaucracy have hindered Hong Kong’s anti-pandemic drive and are slowing efforts to reopen its border with mainland China, public health insiders say.
The city has turned a corner in the crisis, with only a handful of local infections recorded in recent weeks. It has confirmed a total of 1,082 cases and four deaths.
But frontline doctors in the public and private sectors told the Post there have been problems developing an electronic health certificate for cross-border travellers and in sharing data across departments.
They worry that these hitches will also hinder the city’s ability to guard against a potential new wave of infections.
To safely reopen the border for businessmen, students and families living on both sides, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said on May 2 that the government was exploring a mutually-recognised health system with Guangdong and Macau.
That involves using an electronic certificate to indicate the risk level of individuals based on their state of health, contact with Covid-19 patients and travel history.
The plan could allow such commuters to skip 14-day mandatory quarantine when they cross the border. However, a government source familiar with the situation said the plan had been delayed by Hong Kong’s outdated technology.