No leniency for breaching quarantine

March 21, 2020

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:
As far as zero tolerance, I think this reflects the aspirations of the community. The community, ie the 7.5 million population, together through their joint efforts, have resisted this community transmission and ensured that Hong Kong’s confirmed cases, both in terms of absolute numbers and in terms of incidence per million population, are relatively low when compared to other places all over the world.

So Hong Kong people would not like this situation to be undermined by individuals who refuse to abide by the quarantine order. So the time has come for us to again, be very decisive and adopt a zero tolerance approach.

Previously, where cases were discovered to have left home, we would give them a warning and the second time we would send them to the quarantine centre.

But I am now saying and telling those individuals on the quarantine order, if we find you on the street when you should be at home under quarantine order, then immediately we will prosecute, which means that the policemen will take evidence and then will put it through the Department of Justice as usual for prosecution.

(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said there would be zero tolerance for confinees who breached the compulsory quarantine order.

Addressing a press conference with principal officials, Mrs Lam noted that the community, through their joint efforts, have resisted community transmission and ensured that Hong Kong’s confirmed cases have stayed relatively low when compared to other places all over the world.

“Hong Kong people would not like this situation to be undermined by individuals who refuse to abide by the quarantine order. So the time has come for us to again, be very decisive and adopt a zero tolerance approach.”

Mrs Lam made it clear that the Government would not be as lenient as in the past when handling those who repeatedly breached their quarantine.

“I am now saying and telling those individuals on the quarantine order, if we find you on the street when you should be at home under quarantine order, then immediately we will prosecute, which means that the policemen will take evidence and then will put it through the Department of Justice as usual for prosecution."

Contravening the compulsory quarantine requirement is a criminal offence. Offenders are subject to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months.