London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Hong Kong ‘will be lenient at first’ as new app mandate takes effect

Hong Kong ‘will be lenient at first’ as new app mandate takes effect

Civil service chief says officials enforcing the new rule – effective on Monday – will take into account fears that vulnerable groups could be disadvantaged, but residents also expected to be cooperative.

Officials will be lenient at first but residents should also be cooperative when Hong Kong’s Covid-19 contact-tracing app becomes mandatory on Monday for anyone entering government buildings and other facilities, the civil service chief has said.

The requirement to use the “Leave Home Safe” app for access to venues ranging from libraries and swimming pools to government offices and wet markets has raised concerns among organisations working with vulnerable groups such as the homeless, who often lack smartphones.

But Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said on Sunday the administration was making every effort to take that reality into account.

“For those who do not have access to smartphones, they will be asked to leave their personal details. They will be asked to show their identity card and have their names, part of their ID number and contact details jotted down to ensure accuracy,” he told a radio show.

Sports facilities are among the venues that will require use of the contact-tracing app.


Exemptions for individuals younger than 12 or those aged 65 and above, as well as residents with disabilities who cannot use the app, have already been written into the new mandate.

“We understand there will be difficulties when it’s first implemented. Our colleagues, based on the actual circumstances, will be lenient at first, but we also hope everyone will be cooperative,” Nip said.

The number of QR code signs would also be increased outside markets to avoid long queues forming, he added.

For homeless residents without a phone, Nip suggested they leave a contact number to aid in reaching them. That could be the number of an organisation that had been helping them, he said.

Chua Hoi-wai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, said he hoped the officers in charge of implementing the new rules would be as empathetic and lenient as possible in allowing residents to manually fill out paper forms in lieu of scanning with the app.

“We hope residents will not be too afraid or even avoid going to clinics or social welfare offices [because of the new rule],” he told reporters after appearing on the same radio programme.

Groups helping Hong Kong’s homeless population fear many without smartphones could have trouble accessing necessary services.


Chua said some organisations had already given out second-hand mobile phones with the app installed to low-income residents and taught them how to use them.

“We also hope the government will work with us to provide cheaper or second-hand phones to those who have the ability to use but merely cannot afford them,” he added.

The mandatory use of the contact-tracing app is seen as a necessary first step towards meeting Beijing’s concerns over pandemic controls with the aim of eventually reopening the border with mainland China, a deal local officials have yet to secure despite an improving vaccination rate and months with effectively no local coronavirus infections.


Authorities on Sunday confirmed one imported Covid-19 infection, an arrival from Britain.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection on Sunday said it was investigating a coronavirus case first detected overseas. The 18-year-old man, who received two doses of the BioNTech vaccine in July, tested positive on arrival in Singapore on October 24, according to the centre.

His place of residence in Hong Kong during the incubation period – Ching Tak House in Tsz Wan Shan’s Tsz Ching Estate – was issued a compulsory testing notice, and officials were following up the case with their Singaporean counterparts.

Separately, Nip revealed that some 36,000 civil servants would be assigned to help during the December 19 Legislative Council election, deviating from the previous government employee volunteer system.

“It is the civil servants’ responsibility to help with electoral matters,” he said. “With the new practice, we hope we can assign those who are more suitable to the job to help with [the logistics].”

He warned that anyone who was absent from duty without a legitimate reason that day would face disciplinary action, given it was a “mission” assigned to them.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×