Mass lockdown must be as short as possible: DAB

The DAB said on Tuesday that any mass lockdown in Hong Kong should be lifted as quickly as possible, so as to minimise the impact on the public.

Officials have said they won’t rule out imposing a citywide lockdown during a universal Covid testing exercise later this month.

The DAB said if mainland practice is followed, one person in each household would be allowed to go out during the lockdown to buy food and other necessities.

The party proposed that the police, and staff at supermarkets, pharmacies and clinics should be among those who are not required to stay at home.

It said having a mainland-style health code would save time and enable queues at testing centres to move quicker, as people would only need to swipe their phones rather than spend time handing over their personal information.

“To adopt a health code is really vital. If you look at the experience that governments are actually doing in different provinces, it makes sure that things will be accurate and immediate, to identify whether you’re infected,” Nixie Lam, one of the party’s lawmakers said during an online press conference.

The DAB added that the government needs to ensure there are enough isolation and quarantine facilities, saying people with Covid would infect others in their household if they isolated at home.

The party also said the government needs to coordinate manpower and resources better, to make sure there is no chaos at isolation facilities.