Hong Kong Covid-19 tests: what’s stopping many parents and low-paid workers from coming forward

I refer to the letter “Allow private doctors to test for Covid-19” (November 17). Dr Daniel Ng believes patients tested by their usual doctors would “feel less threatened in a private clinic”. However, what would definitely make patients feel less threatened would be the assurance that any children testing Covid-19 positive would not be taken away to hospital, or discharged, on their own while their parents are sent to quarantine.

Opening family units in hospitals where one parent can stay with the child would allay many parents’ fears (although parents should be prepared to sign a disclaimer that they understand the infection risks involved). This child separation measure has been an ongoing nightmare for families for eight months or more, but no entirely satisfactory answer to parents’ fears has been provided yet (“Those who ignore Hong Kong’s mandatory Covid-19 test orders face jail, fines”, November 14).

Parents would feel less threatened if they could self-isolate at home when being close contacts of positive patients, instead of fearing being sent to quarantine. This would allow children to follow the school curriculum as best they can and for parents to work remotely from home.

Finally, low-income workers would feel less threatened if being a close contact or a positive patient wouldn’t put their livelihoods on the line. Who would pay the bills when your salary isn’t being paid for two weeks?

Ensuring low-wage or daily wage workers are paid minimum salary when hospitalised or quarantined, trying not to separate corona-positive children from parents entirely, and quarantining negative close contacts at home, would definitely make people feel less threatened and more willing to come forward to be tested, private doctors’ office or not.

Severine Barry, Mid-Levels