(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive John Lee today pointed out that the Hong Kong Health Code system to be introduced will only be aimed at a specific and small number of people. 

Meeting the media ahead of the Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee said the red code is intended to identify people who have been infected with COVID-19 and should not be out in the community spreading the virus, while the yellow code covers those who are under hotel quarantine.

“The second group is also very small and well defined, which are the people now being kept in a quarantine hotel.

“We introduced this yellow code for them so that when we design measures to allow them to have some limited activities, so that business can continue in a much more normal way, we need some identification method. That is the whole purpose of the red and yellow codes.”

The Chief Executive also noted that both the daily COVID-19 case figure and the hospitalisation rate have gone up, prompting the Government to fine-tune its epidemic response.

“In the long run, I think we have to be realistic about what kind of risk we may facing. First of all, we can see the daily COVID-19 case figure escalating. It already, now, averages at about 3,000 cases per day. And the figures and the trends indicate that the figures will go up very quickly as well. And has already gone up, at least by double, from about 300 to 900, within one and a half months.

“So we have to face this reality. That is why we are thinking of designing methods that will be able to allow us to react more quickly, to respond more precisely and, at the same time, allow more people to not have to be so restrictive in their activities so that normal business can go about and the economy can go about in a much more relaxed way.”