Coronavirus Hong Kong: ‘closed-loop’ system for care home staff optional, welfare chief confirms
- Minister concedes arrangement would be difficult to implement and focus will be on keeping about 80 facilities virus-free
- Comments by Law Chi-kwong come after city leader said care homes would be required to restrict employees’ movements
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong on Thursday said that ideally all employees of a care home would work under the closed-loop system but he admitted the limitations of the arrangement made it difficult.
“We strongly urge staff of care homes to take part in the closed-loop arrangement,” Law said. “But we understand that some staff may need to look after families after work. So it is difficult to make the arrangement mandatory.”
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on Wednesday that the arrangement would be implemented in facilities for the elderly and disabled, with staff given designated hotel accommodation and transport to their workplaces, isolating them from the wider community.
Operators of care homes said on Thursday that the government had already contacted them about participating initially for one month, after which the authorities would review the scheme.
Authorities resorted to the strategy after the surging fifth wave of the pandemic ripped through facilities. Overall, 722 elderly care homes have recorded cases, with 22,070 residents and 5,880 staff infected. Some 248 care homes for the disabled have also recorded cases, with 5,900 residents and 2,220 staff infected.
Law said that unlike in mainland China, Hong Kong’s care facilities did not have room for on-site accommodation for staff and their families.
“We can never achieve 100 per cent. It is a question of risk management – the lower the risk the better,” he said. “If 99 per cent of workers are engaged in it, it’s not risk-free, but the risk will be greatly reduced.”