Coronavirus: lone Hong Kong quarantine hotel for helpers from Philippines, Indonesia fully booked in under 24 hours

Silka Tsuen Wan has no available rooms until October, but labour minister says government hopes to have second hotel option soon

Vaccinations expert Professor Ivan Hung, meanwhile, encourages city’s elderly to choose BioNTech vaccine based on data from jabs programme to date

Reading Time:3 minutes

Hong Kong’s Silka Tsuen Wan, designated for the quarantining of domestic workers arriving in the city, is fully booked for September. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 12:48pm, 28 Aug 2021Updated: 11:25pm, 28 Aug 2021

The sole Hong Kong hotel designated for quarantining foreign domestic workers is already completely booked, the Post has learned, a situation the city’s labour minister hopes to relieve with the addition of new accommodation by mid-September.

Under the city’s revamped Covid-19 policy, fully vaccinated helpers with a recognised certificate from the Philippines or Indonesia can begin returning to the city from Monday on the condition they stay at the four-star Silka Tsuen Wan hotel, at a cost of HK$800 (US$103) a night.

Reservations opened on Friday, and by Saturday morning, the hotel’s 409 rooms had all been booked for September, a Silka representative told a Post reporter posing as an employer.

“The next available time slot will be on October 1. Reservations can only be made on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on whether the employer or the helper can provide all the required information,” the staff member said.

The hotel declined to officially comment on room availability.

Under its booking system, employers must first request a room via email, providing a valid employment visa, vaccination record and copy of the helper’s passport. The hotel then confirms the dates and sends payment instructions. Reservations must be paid for within 24 hours.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x