Coronavirus: civil service chief admits to ‘gaps’ in Hong Kong’s pandemic response and vows review of efforts during Legco grilling
- Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip reveals nearly quarter of government workforce had contracted Covid-19
- Asked about morale and ‘conscription mentality’ among staff circles, Nip says he will review performance and learn lessons
But Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen vowed to legislators on Monday that his department would “take stock” of its failings and determine how its performance could be improved.
“Some measures were not in the right place initially, while some have seen delays in implementation, causing inconvenience and impacting on the public,” he said. “We must take stock from this. I believe that for every step on the way, each department must take a look at how its mechanisms and procedures can be enhanced.”
Hong Kong confirmed 431 coronavirus cases on Monday, of which 16 were imported, a slight increase from the 429 infections logged on Sunday. Officials also reported 18 more deaths, including seven backlogged fatalities.
Health authorities noted that one of the imported cases, an arrival from Nepal, had shown coronavirus symptoms 12 days after entering the city.