Lawmaker concerned about quarantine at public estate

A DAB lawmaker expressed deep concern on Tuesday over the government’s plan to use two blocks of the new Queen’s Hill Estate in Fanling as quarantine facilities.

The plan was unveiled by Chief Executive Carrie Lam ahead of the weekly executive council meeting on Tuesday, as Hong Kong seeks ways to tackle the shortage of isolation facilities amid the surging fifth wave Covid infections.

However, legislator Edward Lau, who represents the New Territories North constituency, told RTHK he is concerned about the potential safety hazards posed by the arrangement.

He said officials might have used Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan for quarantine purposes before, but the situation at Queen’s Hill Estate is different.

“There are seven buildings in Queen’s Hill Estate and people have moved into five of them. And the two buildings that will be used are very close to the rest of them,” he said.

Lau said he has received a lot of inquiries from concerned residents and he has asked government officials for a meeting to discuss the matter.

“A lot of them expressed disagreement to this arrangement, mainly because of their increased risk of infection, especially for those who have elderly and children at home,” he said.

“The buildings are so interconnected with each other, and they are worried that the situation like the one in Kwai Chung Estate, where the virus had spread among the buildings, would occur.”

The legislator urged the government to give subsidies to affected residents.