Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on requiring staff of residential care homes to undergo compulsory testing after attending a radio programme this morning (November 29):
Reporter: Secretary, eventually how would you make sure that these staff (members) maybe can get tested once a week and also what is the consequences this time if they don't have enough time to go to get tested? Would they be prevented from going to work?
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Under the current regulations, if they are required to do the COVID-19 test but they don't, they are violating the regulations and will have a penalty of $2,000 fine. They will also be given an order to do it within a given number of days and if they don't, the penalty will be even more severe. It will be like (a maximum penalty of) $25,000 and also imprisonment. So I really hope that the people will comply and do so. The idea is if it is needed and when the system works smoothly, definitely we will contemplate that for those who don't comply they should not be working. That is the instruction we will be giving to the residential service operators. We will see how it goes. Anyway, this is the first time. The aim is in the long run it will be once every week and also only those having a valid negative test result will be able to go back to work.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Follow this news feed: East Asia