Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon urged the government to allow residents returning to Hong Kong to undergo home quarantine after she faced difficulties arranging her stay at a quarantine hotel.
Kong said in a social media post on Saturday that she was unable to book a quarantine hotel for her family and called on the government to revise its quarantine arrangements.
She said that the information on the government’s website about quarantine hotel reservations was misleading. “The booking information on the website is not accurate and has not been updated,” she said.
Kong also pointed out that all quarantine hotel vacancies had been filled. “I called different hotels for two hours to see if they had vacancies, but all their rooms from July to late August are full. No wonder people haven’t been able to come home,” she said.
“Does the government even know how many vacancies are available at the quarantine hotels? Why didn’t authorities prepare for this, knowing that Hongkongers would be returning during the peak period?” She added that the government’s irresponsibility allowed scalpers to resell hotel room bookings at high prices.
“Why can’t we just undergo home quarantine? Why should healthy returnees pay for expensive hotel stays while those with Covid self-isolate at home?” Kong added.
Kong also said that the issue of quarantine hotel vacancies could have been avoided if the government had considered citizens’ needs.
Outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said last week that current Covid regulations would remain in place until June 29.
She said that the information on the government’s website about quarantine hotel reservations was misleading. “The booking information on the website is not accurate and has not been updated,” she said.
Kong also pointed out that all quarantine hotel vacancies had been filled. “I called different hotels for two hours to see if they had vacancies, but all their rooms from July to late August are full. No wonder people haven’t been able to come home,” she said.
“Does the government even know how many vacancies are available at the quarantine hotels? Why didn’t authorities prepare for this, knowing that Hongkongers would be returning during the peak period?” She added that the government’s irresponsibility allowed scalpers to resell hotel room bookings at high prices.
“Why can’t we just undergo home quarantine? Why should healthy returnees pay for expensive hotel stays while those with Covid self-isolate at home?” Kong added.
Kong also said that the issue of quarantine hotel vacancies could have been avoided if the government had considered citizens’ needs.
Outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said last week that current Covid regulations would remain in place until June 29.