Unsung heroes in fight against virus
8 March 2020
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In the face of the ongoing epidemic of novel coronavirus, the SAR Government dares not take it lightly and will stay vigilant. An expert of the World Health Organization affirmed our anti-coronavirus efforts in the past six weeks, remarking that Hong Kong did well in both suppressing and driving transmission down.
Taking heed of experts’ advice, the Government will continue with the “containment” strategy and enhance public education by asking people to minimise social contacts, observe personal hygiene, wash hands frequently and take all possible precautionary measures. We will assess the epidemic according to the actual situation and take prompt and resolute action to cut off the local transmission chain.
Apart from deploying staff and resources, the anti-epidemic efforts of bureaux and departments also call for support and solidarity from different sectors of the community. The Government’s earlier appeal to serving and retired civil servants to participate in voluntary work was met with positive response. Many civilian and disciplined staff have joined the volunteer teams, contributing the best of their abilities to fight the epidemic.
Last Tuesday (3 March), I visited the monitoring centre of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to show support for the staff and observe the use of innovation and technology to verify that people under compulsory quarantine were staying at their dwelling places. I was pleased to learn that the OGCIO had mobilised more than 200 volunteers, including serving and retired staff of disciplined services and various departments, to participate in the work.
Every day, each volunteer would contact about 100 people under quarantine using communication applications for real-time location sharing to confirm that they remain under quarantine on the designated premises. Besides, the volunteers would explain the quarantine arrangement, share health information and assist in referring enquiries or such requests as food or medical support to relevant departments.
I felt for myself the selflessness of the volunteers, some of whom were newly retired civil servants who wanted to support their serving colleagues in fighting the epidemic. With years of administrative experience, they assisted in setting up the monitoring centre and even undertook to contact other retired civil servants so that more of them would join the voluntary work.
Some volunteers were met with discourtesy when contacting people under home quarantine. Without being disheartened, they patiently explained their intention for calling and showed their care. And one volunteer, who made a phone call to a Japanese under quarantine, came up with an idea of using text messaging to communicate with this person who was unable to converse in English. The replies in Japanese were then translated. Our volunteers are not only emotionally adequate, but also undoubtedly capable of problem-solving.
Some of the Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei Province returned to Hong Kong by chartered flights last week with the assistance of the Government. An army of staff and volunteers had worked together to get ready for their arrival. A few days back (2 March), I visited the quarantine centre located at Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan to observe its operation and review the facilities and services provided to people under quarantine.
With the concerted and relentless efforts of various Government departments, a large number of quarantine units, transportation and supplies were ready within an extremely short period of time. Thanks to the assistance of colleagues in various departments, the facilities of the units at Chun Yeung Estate have been improved. Apart from Wi-Fi access, more than half of the units have been provided with television sets.
The volunteer teams of the disciplined services also took an active part in assisting with anti-epidemic work. For example, they moved the furniture and electrical appliances originally placed at Fai Ming Estate in Fanling to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan. As the lifts at Fai Ming Estate were out of service due to damage repair, the volunteers had to carry the large furniture and electrical appliances to the ground floor by stairs. Some of the furniture, including heavy bed frames, required assembling after being moved to Chun Yeung Estate. With the expeditious efforts of the volunteer teams and the help of retired police officers and Housing Department staff, the quarantine units were ready for use in no time.
To support the fight against the epidemic, the Police Force has set up a 200-strong Police Anti-coronavirus Contingent, comprising 70 serving officers working at backend and 130 retired officers. Apart from moving and assembling furniture at the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate, these officers have, since 6 am on 14 February, been assisting the OCGIO and the Department of Health at three control points (including the Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzhen Bay Port and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port) by helping Hong Kong people and visitors entering from the Mainland, who were not carrying smartphones, to put on electronic wristbands. Besides, they also provide assistance to the call centres of relevant departments in making phone calls and video calls to people under home isolation to verify their exact location and confirm whether they have complied with relevant quarantine requirements. Starting from mid-February, regular officers of the contingent have been assisting the Civil Aid Service in the quarantine centre at Lei Yue Mun Park. They also provide service for the quarantine centre at Jao Tsung-I Academy from today (8 March) onwards.
Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) have recruited volunteers through different networks, including the Agency for Volunteer Service, the Hong Kong Volunteers Federation, the Scout Association of Hong Kong, the Youth Ambassadors of the Youth Development Commission and members of the government advisory committees under the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth, to solicit community participation in anti-epidemic voluntary work. The volunteers recruited will provide logistical support, including operational and administrative services, to relevant government departments and assist in distributing anti-epidemic supplies to the disadvantaged. HAB has shared the information of these volunteers with relevant departments so that they can make effective deployment for the voluntary work and contact the volunteers direct. Such community support and participation fully demonstrates the determination of different sectors in working together to fight the epidemic.
My sincere thanks go to members of the public, in particular the organisations and volunteers taking part in the battle against the epidemic, for their active support of the Government’s anti-epidemic work. These unsung heroes who marched firmly to the battle line without asking for reward or applause truly deserve our respect.
The fight against the epidemic is not only a matter for individuals, families and friends, but for the whole community and all countries in the world too. This battle could be a long one, and to win, the Government must make the best endeavours to safeguard public health through effective anti-epidemic measures. We should share the common goal of curbing the spread of virus in the community in order to make the most out of the various measures to overcome this crisis.
