Law Chi-kwong: No plan to increase quarantine rooms for foreign domestic helpers

Starting from Sept. 20, the Hong Kong government will open a total of 800 units in Phases 1 and 2 of the Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre (PBQC) on Lantau Island for quarantine of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) who have been fully vaccinated in Group A specified places upon arrival in HK.

The above arrangement will be applicable to incoming FDHs who have received vaccination in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

As for inbound FDHs who have received full vaccination in HK, they may also undergo quarantine at the abovementioned Quarantine Centre. Employers and employment agencies may, starting from 9 a.m. on Sept. 14, make an application for room reservation through the booking system.

In response to calls for more designated quarantine facilities for FDHs in HK, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr. Law Chi-kwong, said in a blog on Sunday (Sept. 12) that there were no plans to increase the number of quarantine rooms for FDHs for the time being.

He said he understood the current pressures of HK families, but from the perspective of preventing imported cases, the government is acting on thin ice, and the resumption of FDHs to HK has to be gradual and orderly.

According to Dr. Law, the PBQC provides 50 quarantine rooms per day and is expected to be fully booked on the 16th day after its opening. Together with the FDH quarantine hotel, there will be about 65 quarantine rooms per day, which is close to the daily average number of FDHs coming to HK before all Philippine flights ceased in April, so there is no need to increase the number of quarantine rooms for the time being.