Coronavirus: Hong Kong scheme to recruit mainland Chinese care workers faces challenges over infection fears
- City leader Carrie Lam says recruitment effort ‘has encountered problems’, without elaborating further
- Employment agency says it has received about 500 applications, with more than 100 workers already in Hong Kong
A Hong Kong government plan to recruit mainland Chinese workers to care for infected elderly and disabled residents is facing challenges, as some candidates are concerned about catching Covid-19.
The decision by local authorities to recruit from across the border was in response to severe personnel shortages among care workers, with the sector having been crippled by an increasing number of infections among employees.
City leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and employment agencies admitted the recruitment process had not gone as smoothly as expected. Lam on Sunday said only about 100 mainland caretakers had been recruited to assist infected elderly and disabled residents, far below the government’s original plan of 1,000.
“The challenge is not about salaries, as they could be paid HK$30,000 [US$3,830] a month … But it is understandable that some have major concerns due to the severe epidemic situation in Hong Kong,” she said. “Some who were willing to work in Hong Kong may adopt a wait-and-see attitude.”
On March 1, the Social Welfare Department announced it planned to hire 1,000 staff from the mainland to fulfil roles for three months at holding centres, community isolation facilities and quarantine camps to care for elderly residents, people with disabilities and other potential or confirmed cases.