The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will allow thousands of foreign domestic helpers stranded in the Philippines and Indonesia to come back to the city "in phases," Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Tuesday (Aug. 24).
Speaking at the press conference before an Executive Council meeting, Lam said there will be a "gradual reintroduction" of FDHs in Hong Kong so that they could be quarantined and tested in an orderly manner.
"We have discussed with the Philippines and Indonesia to enable the recognition of the vaccination record of these two countries. We hope foreign domestic helpers can in a gradual manner return to Hong Kong," Lam said.
She said the government cannot allow "thousands of foreign domestic helpers to come in every week" because it wants to avoid any possibility of COVID-19 cases overloading the city's public hospital system.
She said returning FDHs will have to be quarantined for 21 days in specially designated hotels. Lam said the government has already identified one hotel with 400 rooms.
Lam added that she understands that there are several thousand qualified FDHs waiting to return to HK, but it must be done in an orderly manner to avoid putting too much pressure on the medical system.
"I would ask the employers of foreign domestic helpers to be more patient with the system. If there are a few thousand being stranded in the Philippines and Indonesia it will take some time for them to come back," she said.
According to sources, that the hotel that the authorities temporarily found available for FDH quarantine is Silka Tsuen Wan.
(With inputs from China Daily)
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