Under the Anti-epidemic Fund, the Government is to provide a monthly allowance of $2,000 for a period of five months for each frontline cleansing and security worker for their contributions towards combatting the pandemic.

The Government made the statement in response to media reports concerning the support measures for them under the sixth-round of the Anti-epidemic Fund.

The support covers the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene & Security Staff in the Property Management Sector. It provides an allowance to frontline property management workers carrying out cleansing and security work in private residential, composite as well as industrial and commercial building blocks including shopping malls. Around 180,000 people will benefit.

Such support also includes the Support Cleansing & Security Staff Engaged by the Government, Housing Authority & Housing Society Service Contractors involved in anti-epidemic work. It covers cleansing workers in country parks engaged by contractors of the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department. Around 72,000 frontline cleansing and security workers will benefit from the subsidy.

​Upon further consideration, the Government will provide the monthly allowance of $2,000 to three categories of frontline workers for a period of five months.

They are: (1) cleansing and security workers engaged by Hospital Authority service contractors; (2) cleansing and security staff engaged by post-secondary education institutions and their service contractors as well as service contractors of non-government schools; and (3) frontline recycling staff.

The number of beneficiaries for the three types of workers are around 6,100, 22,000 and 7,000.

The estimated expenditure for these measures is over $3 billion. Details will be announced by the relevant bureaus and departments.