HK Govt Wants to Track Your Movements

Hong Kong only tested 1.78 million people in universal testing

 

Hong Kong recorded 84 new coronavirus cases today, and in the last few days there are stories trickling out about a freelance Chinese food writer who went to at least one tasting this week before testing positive, and a three-Michelin starred Italian restaurant having two staff who were also infected, and a hipster food hall in Central has another case.

While the government is mulling making residents download an app to scan QR codes wherever they go in a bid to make it easier to track down possible closer contacts, people may not comply because they have lost faith in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her administration.

Scanning QR codes may become mandatory

Many businesses have already put up the QR code at their entrances, but I have yet to see anyone scan the code to check-in, and check-out. However it would be possible for the government to make scanning the QR code mandatory to enter the premises, much like temperature checks.

As for people who don't even own smartphones... what are they going to do?

Meanwhile the pro-establishment camp is anxious to reopen the border between Hong Kong and the mainland, which means aiming for the zero infection number Lam mentioned this past week in her policy address.

They are pushing for universal testing, but interesting that Lam disagrees, saying since it took two weeks to test 1.78 million people, then surely it would take four to five weeks to test the entire population, and the entire city would have to be in lockdown during that period.

"Hong Kong will have to pay a very heavy price," she said, adding her estimation had no scientific basis.

Lam says test high-risk groups like dance clubs

She is following the advice of infectious disease experts who have advocated testing high-risk groups, like the current dance club cluster, and senior government officials.

Lam also didn't want to push for universal testing, saying that the past year of anti-government protests triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, had made her work to combat the pandemic even harder as some people had lost trust in the government.

Hmmm... now whose fault is that? She could have tried to address this very issue in her policy address but refused to even try to resolve the impasse with at least an independent inquiry into police brutality.

The chief executive seems to build herself up as a martyr. When I brought up her saying she was paid in cash and was just asking for a thief to rob her, a relative pointed out Lam was keen on making others take pity on her...