Coronavirus: Hong Kong needs to up its mass quarantine game, experts say, as complaints of chaos multiply

Residents scooped up in last week’s operation say they encountered beds with splinters and meals that made them ill at Penny’s Bay facility

Hong Kong records four new Covid-19 cases on Monday, all imported, marking three straight days without a local infection

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People leave the quarantine centre at Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island on Saturday. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 3:33pm, 10 May 2021Updated: 5:27am, 11 May 2021

Authorities must plan large quarantine operations better and should consider breaking up mass evacuations into batches, a former health minister and a medical expert have said following the chaos that erupted after thousands of Hong Kong residents were sent into isolation last week.

Problems and complaints – including claims of food poisoning at quarantine camps – could be avoided if officials adopted a more cohesive approach to the logistics involved, they said on Monday as authorities confirmed four new coronavirus cases, all imported.

Residents of entire housing blocks were simultaneously evacuated on Wednesday after the discovery of Covid-19 variants, leading to questions about authorities’ ability to handle such a large volume of people.

“Some of the details of the arrangements were not ideal, and I believe this had an impact on residents,” said former secretary for food and health Dr Ko Wing-man. “I hope the government can learn from this experience and do better.”

A Tsuen Wan resident looks out the window of a bus taking her to government quarantine last Wednesday. Photo: Felix Wong

The experiences of handling the pandemic on mainland China and overseas had shown strict quarantine measures must be accompanied by other strong logistical measures to ensure necessary supplies reached the affected residents, Ko said.