Priority is protecting HK: CE

March 11, 2022

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

I do appreciate the sort of frustrations of some of the arrivals from overseas that while we are adjusting our own quarantine and isolation policies, we are still adhering to the same quarantine arrangement for inbound travellers. This is because of the risk (of further infections) that we must ensure that we will not impose further risk on the hospitals.

As I said, I can understand their frustrations, but at this moment Hong Kong is facing an unprecedented epidemic. So, at this point in time, my first priority is to ensure that we could protect people in Hong Kong and also protect the public hospital system. To make any relaxation for arrivals which will run any risk in those respects is not something the Chief Executive would like to see.

But I did say that after this (fifth) wave subsides we will take an overall look at the border control, particularly for inbound arrivals, particularly for Hong Kong people who are now not allowed to come back because of the place-specific flight suspensions. We will try to map out a pathway for resuming this travel for people who want to come to Hong Kong.

This is an unprecedented situation in terms of responding to an epidemic of this magnitude. It has outgrown the normal capacity of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, or actually outgrown the capacity of Hong Kong. Any adjustments in policies or in practices are to enable Hong Kong to cope with the situation as best as we could, to enable us to protect the public hospital system but at the same time also to save lives. For example, we are now turning Queen Elizabeth Hospital into a designated hospital to look after COVID-19 patients.

This is a timely adjustment in our policies in order to achieve the objective of protecting the safety and the health of the people of Hong Kong. I hope you understand that.

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said that the current priority is protecting Hong Kong's citizens and public hospital system and that the Government will review its travel rules after the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic has subsided.

Explaining the rationale behind the continued enforcement of stringent quarantine arrangements for inbound travellers, Mrs Lam said at a press conference this morning that the Government has to ensure that no further infection risk will be imposed on the city's hospitals.

Acknowledging travellers’ frustrations, she noted: “At this point in time, my first priority is to ensure that we could protect people in Hong Kong and also protect the public hospital system. To make any relaxation for arrivals which will run any risk in those respects is not something the Chief Executive would like to see.

“After this wave subsides we will take an overall look at the border control, particularly for inbound arrivals, particularly for Hong Kong people who are now not allowed to come back because of the place-specific flight suspensions. We will try to map out a pathway for resuming this travel for people who want to come to Hong Kong.”

On changes to the anti-epidemic measures, Mrs Lam stressed that such adjustments have been made to enable the city to promptly cope with the situation, with a view to safeguarding the public hospital system and saving people’s lives.

“For example, we are now turning Queen Elizabeth Hospital into a designated hospital to look after COVID-19 patients.

“This is a timely adjustment in our policies in order to achieve the objective of protecting the safety and the health of the people of Hong Kong.”