Hong Kong leader defends health code plans to combat COVID

Hong Kong leader defends health code plans to combat COVID

SeattlePI.com

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HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader John Lee on Tuesday defended the city’s plans to implement health codes that would more accurately restrict the movements of inbound travelers and those infected with COVID-19, dismissing concerns that the system could be used as a political or social control tool.

Lee, who spoke at a regular news conference Tuesday, said that the health code plan is part of the city’s objective to adopt “precise strategies to minimize the scope of restrictions.”

“We are a law-abiding place, the government will of course abide by the law,” he said. “Any measures meant for tackling the epidemic will not be used for other purposes, it is not going to happen.”

He was speaking a day after the city’s health chief unveiled plans to implement a health code system in Hong Kong, where those who are infected with COVID-19 would receive a red code, while those under hotel quarantine would receive a yellow code. Those who receive such codes will have their movements restricted.

The city’s health code measures are being considered amid an increase of COVID-19 infections after the city battled its fifth and worst outbreak that spiked its cumulative numbers to over a million infections and over 9,000 dead.

Hong Kong more than 2,700 cases on Tuesday. The city has on average logged over a thousand infections daily since mid-June.

The planned health code system has sparked concerns over privacy and social control after Chinese media reported that mainland Chinese authorities used its health code system to prevent residents from attending a planned protest at a bank in the province of Henan.

Lee said that the health code system is a way of “early identification” of possible infections while affecting the least number of people.

“We aim to allow most people to get on...

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