Three questions await answers over mandatory testing and vaccination moves for helpers

As Hong Kong continues to fight the pandemic, we must acknowledge that mandatory testing and vaccination efforts contribute greatly to the relative sense of normality many of us have. The Centre for Health Protection has done very well in this regard.

However, there seems to be disparity in the treatment of various groups, revealing an underlying social bias as to which groups are thought to submit with little restraint, and which groups have enough leverage to be given deferential treatment (whether or not they request it).

While I will endeavour to divorce the issue from the topic of race, there is much to tackle on the merits of fairness. While community testing and vaccination are necessary, if one group is subjected to these measures, should they not apply to all others?

On April 30, after a domestic worker was found to be infected with a “new variant” of Covid-19, the government required all domestic helpers to undergo mandatory testing. Furthermore, a vaccination requirement – now withdrawn – was proposed for domestic helper work visas. While the logic behind mandatory testing and vaccination seems sound, there is something unsettling about the way policy is enforced (or not enforced) across different groups of people.

First, does this mean that the next time a new strain arrives from another country, all those from that country (or who work in the same industry) must then be tested, because the assumption is that the virus will spread rapidly in their community?

Second, if we need to safeguard our community against the new strain, should mandatory testing not be required for everyone, given that the said “helper” might have also socialised with people who are not helpers? The assumption in testing only one group is that they are isolated from everyone else. However, this is not the case.

Third, would all work visa applications from now on require mandatory vaccination, regardless of country of origin or profession? If this a public health issue, why stop at mandatory vaccination for foreigners?

Policymaking during the pandemic is not straightforward. However, questions that have both practical and moral implications must be considered.

After all, it is as one community that we address the challenges of Covid-19. We must all watch over our community by safeguarding our shared interests and addressing each member with respect.