Coronavirus Hong Kong: unemployed in line to get HK$10,000 handout; city confirms 2,071 new cases
- The payment is part of the city’s sixth round of pandemic relief funding, expected to be approved by the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday
- The package also includes handouts for an estimated 67,000 businesses spread across numerous sectors
Unemployed Hongkongers will be granted a one-off payment of HK$10,000 (US$1,282) as part of an expected HK$27 billion round of pandemic relief funding, with the city reporting 2,071 new coronavirus cases on Monday amid a worsening fifth wave of infections.
According to a government paper submitted to the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee, which is expected to hold a 4½-hour meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the 48 new measures included in the package would also cover a number of sectors hit by recently tightened social-distancing rules.
An estimated 750,000 people and 67,000 businesses – including beauty parlours, party rooms, gyms, child care centres, travel agents, tech start-ups and flower farmers – are expected to benefit.
About HK$5.1 billion from the latest round of funding will go towards 20 schemes to support premises forced to close because of social-distancing measures. Hard-hit industries, including the city’s tourism sector, will also receive HK$3.2 billion.
Another HK$4.4 billion will be given to cleaners and other frontline workers, while HK$4.5 billion will be set aside as a contingency measure to “meet any unforeseen needs”.
The largest sum, totalling about HK$9.6 billion, will support jobless Hongkongers, including HK$3 billion for an unemployment subsidy scheme and HK$6 billion to promote job creation.
About 300,000 residents who previously earned less than HK$30,000 a month and have now been unemployed for more than a month will receive a one-off subsidy of HK$10,000.