Coronavirus: ‘Leave Home Safe’ app required for entry to Hong Kong government buildings from next month
- City records six imported infections, with fewer than five preliminary cases being investigated
- Civil service chief in vaccination push with visits to three ageing districts
Anybody entering government premises in Hong Kong will have to use the city’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app, with exceptions only applicable to children, the elderly and disabled people, as authorities toughen their stance against the risk of infection from coronavirus variants.
The administration on Thursday announced the new rule, set to kick in next month, as the city recorded six new imported cases.
Under the new procedure, all staff and members of the public must use the “Leave Home Safe” mobile app to scan a QR code before entering government buildings. The existing option of manual registrations will no longer be available at such venues.
Those who are exempted comprise individuals aged under 12, and 65 or above, as well as disabled people who cannot use the app. But such entrants will have to leave their names, the first four digits or letters on their identity documents, contact numbers and the date and time of the visit.
They must also present the relevant documents for authentication. Staff in charge at the entrance will also perform test calls to verify the contact numbers.
Government bureaus or departments may grant exemptions to individuals not belonging to these groups, depending on circumstances.
“With the global prevalence of Covid-19 and the high transmissibility of mutant strains, it is necessary for the government to refine and adopt more stringent measures by strictly enforcing the requirement of using the app,” a government spokesman said. Authorities had noticed incomplete or false personal information entered by those using the manual registration method.
The “Leave Home Safe” app was launched last November to help health authorities trace close contacts of Covid-19 patients. Its use is voluntary, with visitors scanning QR codes specific to their places of visit to record information in the software. When someone who had been on the same premises tests positive, other users will be notified by the app.