Coronavirus: cheap hotel rooms sought in Hong Kong to quarantine domestic helpers as thousands expected to arrive in coming months

Name: New coronavirus outbreak at Beijing food market fuels fears of second wave of cases in China
Uploaded: 2020-06-16T00:00:11.000Z
Duration: 1 min 39 s
Description: New coronavirus outbreak at Beijing food market fuels fears of second wave of cases in China

Employment agency union had called for newly hired helpers to undergo compulsory 14-day quarantine period at government camps

But senior health official reveals that government is in talks with hospitality industry on finding accommodation for the workers

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Most of Hong Kong’s domestic helpers come from the Philippines and Indonesia. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Victor Ting

Published: 8:00am, 16 Jun 2020Updated: 11:20am, 16 Jun 2020

Health officials in Hong Kong are looking for cheap hotels to quarantine an expected influx of thousands of domestic helpers, but the use of government facilities has been ruled out, it has been revealed.

Infectious diseases experts said the foreign workers should have negative test results for Covid-19 before coming to the city, and suggested they wear masks and use a separate bathroom in their employer’s home to minimise cross-infection risks.

The Philippines, a major exporter of migrant workers, imposed a travel ban on Hong Kong and mainland China in early February in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The country lifted the restrictions later that month, but with social-distancing measures in place and limited government operations, it has only approved a few permits for its citizens.

01:39

New coronavirus outbreak at Beijing food market fuels fears of second wave of cases in China

On Sunday, the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies estimated up to 10,000 maids were expected to arrive in the city over the summer as governments in the Philippines and Indonesia gradually resumed normal operations and started to issue more travel permits.

The union called for newly hired helpers to be isolated in government centres as it said most local families did not want to take health risks and house the workers over the compulsory 14-day quarantine period. Under the rules, domestic helpers must live in their workplace, which is their employer’s home.

Dr Leung Yiu-hong, chief port health officer of the Centre for Health Protection, revealed at a Legislative Council committee meeting on Monday that the government was in talks with the hospitality industry on finding cheaper accommodation options for the workers.

“There will be a lot of foreign maids coming, and they will undergo compulsory quarantine either at home or in hotels. Employers have a responsibility to provide accommodation for their foreign workers,” he said.

“The government has heard citizens’ voices, about whether it will be quite costly … and is looking at assistance with the hospitality industry and relevant departments, to see which cheaper hotels are available.”