China Health Codes Come to HK

The dreaded LeaveHomeSafe app now includes health codes

People in Hong Kong hate the LeaveHomeSafe app. 

Users have to upload their vaccination records on it -- and those who still haven't been vaccinated aren't able to enter any restaurant to dine in, cut their hair, go to the pub and so on. They can only order takeout. And there are a lot of people in this category.

When the app first came out there were concerns it would be modelled similar to the Chinese health code, where when it shows a green colour, the person has not been infected and allowed to move around the city as they please; yellow means a person may be asked to stay home for seven days; and red is a two-week quarantine.

Only yellow and red health codes will be used

In China people have no choice but to use this app if they want to get around the city and do the most basic things like buy groceries, banking and work.

There were concerns the government could abuse this health code and that happened recently in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan province in central China.

Protesters occupied the front of a state-owned bank as they were unable to access their accounts since mid April. In a bid to try to control these people, the authorities turned the protesters' health codes red so they were unable to gather at the bank and instead were sent off to quarantine.

A few days later Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau announced Hong Kong was mulling the possibility of adopting the mainland's health code system, and now Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has given a few more details.

Apparently the health code in Hong Kong will only feature yellow and red, yellow for all incoming passengers, while red means the person is infected and must stay home or go to the hospital for treatment. 

Lo announced the possible move a few days ago

When the media asked about the Henan situation where the health code was abused, Lee replied the government will tackle "misinformation".

"We will make sure that we'll well-explain the scope and the method so that people understand why we do it, what benefits they gain, and what are the concerns they do not have to really bother, because there may be some misinformation, which we need to address very quickly so that everybody knows what we are doing," he said.

Better yet he said the health code would only affect a small number of people...

Where have we heard that before?

But it will affect a lot of people because over half the Hong Kong population is believed to have had Covid-19 at some point, and/or they know people who were infected with the virus.

In addition, those who are infected with Covid-19 will have to wear an electronic bracelet when they undergo home quarantine to ensure they don't leave to go out during the isolation period.

"We have to make sure that home isolation is more precise while being humane," Lo said, announcing the new requirement would begin on Monday.

If someone breaches the mandatory home isolation order, the perpetrator could pay a fine of up to HK$25,000 (US$3,200) and up to six months in jail.

Not even two weeks into Lee's new position and already the mainlandisation of Hong Kong is happening even faster under the guise of the pandemic...