Hong Kong’s coronavirus quarantine staff standing proud despite abuse, suicide threats and killer litter
- With Covid-19 crisis stabilising in city, government announces closure of largest camp in Fo Tan, but other centres remain crucial in public health landscape
- Main challenges for staff at facilities are emotional outbursts from people and dealing with frightened children
Dealing with objects thrown from a tower block, routine verbal abuse and suicide attempts are some of the challenges faced by staff and volunteers who kept Hong Kong’s quarantine centres running for the past five months.
Public workers have lifted the lid on life inside designated quarantine camps, with stories of a children’s drawing competition to lift their spirits, as well as the pride felt by personnel who kept the city safe from Covid-19.
Hong Kong adopted a 14-day quarantine measure in January to isolate those deemed to be close contacts of patients, as well as arrivals from high-risk places.
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Hong Kong coronavirus protest: Disruption near quarantine sites close to residential areas
As of Sunday, 9,579 people have stayed at official quarantine facilities, 2,992 of whom are close contacts of confirmed cases. Of this total, 220 have later been confirmed as infected.