Appeal for help sincere: CS

February 7, 2020

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung: My appeal to civil servants is a sincere one, it's genuine. We are facing really challenging times and we are talking about social cohesion. It’s time for solidarity. I think everybody in the civil service, everyone in the community should exercise civic responsibility. It is time for us to stand together. Together we stand, divided we fall. So we must work hand-in-hand to tackle this crisis situation, the virus situation. I'm really making a personal sincere appeal. I’m telling you that some heads of departments are responding in very positive terms already. I've been receiving very encouraging emails. So any suggestion of coercion is entirely untrue. On the other hand it’s a persuasion, an appeal. I'm sure that a lot of civil servants will respond to my appeal. So I just want to put the record straight: there’s no question of coercion. It’s on a voluntary basis, as the name implies - volunteer. The 14-day quarantine we talked about is basically the so-called tier two quarantine, because these people are not carriers. They don't display any symptoms at all. They are not close contacts and also they are under close surveillance, close liaison with Department of Health experts every day, checking their temperature and also making sure they wear masks, and all that. What they do is just to stay home. If they have any family needs at all, we have volunteers to help them. In fact the Social Welfare Department and Home Affairs Department will stand ready to help them, anything that we can do for them, even childcare, even buying necessities, lunch, dinner, breakfast. And also, there will be a hotline provided by the Home Affairs Department.

(To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today said his appeal to government staff to help in the fight against the spread of novel coronavirus is sincere.

Speaking at a press conference in the evening, Mr Cheung said Hong Kong is facing a challenging time and called for solidarity.

“I think everybody in the civil service, everyone in the community should exercise civic responsibility. It is time for us to stand together. Together we stand, divided we fall.”

Mr Cheung noted that heads of departments have responded positively to his appeal, and rejected suggestions claiming that government staff were being coerced to volunteer.

“I'm sure that a lot of civil servants will respond to my appeal. So I just want to put the record straight: there’s no question of coercion. It’s on a voluntary basis.”

Additionally, Mr Cheung explained that the 14-day quarantine is for people who are not carriers and do not display symptoms.

"They are not close contacts and also they are under close surveillance, close liaison with Department of Health experts every day, checking their temperature and also making sure they wear masks, and all that. What they do is just to stay home.”

The Chief Secretary added volunteers would help the quarantined people if they have any needs.