Startled by that screeching sound from your mobile phone? Emergency alert sparked wild fears, but Hong Kong leader says Covid information needed to get out
- Some residents thought disaster was imminent when their devices emitted a siren-like sound on Wednesday only to find the alert was about a repurposed hospital
- Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the unprecedented use of the emergency alert system was justified, but not everyone agrees
Nuked by Russian President Vladimir Putin or struck by an earthquake? Wild scenarios ran through the minds of many Hongkongers when a loud, high-pitched whine erupted from their mobile phones and other devices for about 10 seconds on Wednesday.
The 53-word alert also carried a reminder that read “A&E of QEH will admit mainly Covid-19 patients and patients in life-threatening conditions. Other patients are advised not to go QEH. Thank you for the cooperation.”
The unprecedented use of the city’s emergency notification system sparked alarm and confusion among many residents, but the city’s leader defended the move, saying it offered a quick and efficient method to convey information to the population.
“I think the message sent yesterday was suitable,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Thursday. “Nobody can question that we are in a public health emergency right now.”
The government previously used regular SMS to send out alerts, which were not accompanied by any special sound, but Lam said these required up to four hours to reach every phone. Given Queen Elizabeth had one of the busiest accidents and emergency departments in the city, handling 10 per cent of the daily total, using the special alert to inform all residents was justified, she added.
But not everyone was convinced of her logic, with technology and communication experts as well as lawmakers expressing scepticism.