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Transcript of remarks by SLW on designated quarantine facilities for foreign domestic helpers
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     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on designated quarantine facilities for foreign domestic helpers after attending the Legislative Council meeting this afternoon (September 1):
 
Reporter: Dr Law, with regard to the designated quarantine hotel, will the Government provide flexibility and offer some of the currently idle quarantine hotels to cater for the foreign domestic helpers, and then perhaps put the hotels back into quarantine flats for other returning Hong Kong people because the quarantine centre is full?
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Somehow, there is a consistent demand from people coming back from elsewhere to Hong Kong for quarantine arrangements, so the existing provision of designated quarantine hotels is basically needed. On this particular front, when we are trying to provide this designated quarantine facility for foreign domestic helpers, we try not to affect the overall supply (of quarantine facilities) for people coming back from elsewhere. So, somehow we are trying to, particularly in this case when we are using existing quarantine facilities, basically trying to increase such a supply, but there is always a limit.
 
     As I said earlier, it is very important for us to closely monitor the situation, because there is always a risk when we are allowing people from these high-risk areas coming back to Hong Kong in large numbers. Then, that will put a very substantial pressure on our system and there can always be leakage. So, to ensure our measures will not affect our overall strategy, we have to do it very carefully and step by step. Because of that and there is an earnest demand for foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, therefore as long as we can find an option that is workable, we will make it known so that the potential employers will know when and how many (quarantine facilities) will be available in the near future.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
 
Ends/Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Issued at HKT 19:11
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