‘Care homes must take back recovered residents’

Welfare Secretary Law Chi-kwong warned elderly care homes on Saturday that they may face consequences if they refuse to take back residents who have recovered from Covid.

Health authorities had earlier criticised the actions of some care homes, saying they were increasing the burden on hospitals.

But care homes say these residents may still be able to spread the virus, thereby endangering others in their care.

Speaking on a radio programme, the welfare minister acknowledged that infection-control measures at some elderly care homes were not yet adequate. But he said authorities would offer support. He said care homes were duty-bound to take care of residents, who are fit to return.

“The responsibility lies with the operator. And if they don’t do that, basically they can be violating the code of practice, and therefore the Social Welfare Department will have the power to enforce that,” Law said.

“The minimum thing is to issue a warning letter, and there can be consequence if there are multiple warning letters.”

Law said care homes could contact authorities about how to handle problematic situations.

“We understand the challenges and difficulties they are facing, so we try our very best to advise and provide the support, the financial part and also protection equipment, etc. We will try our very best to help them.”

Meanwhile, the minister said employers should ask their foreign domestic helpers to stay at home instead of gathering outside on their days off.

He said some people had been calling for crowdfunding schemes to be set up to raise money for helpers facing social distancing fines.

Law said that could amount to encouraging people to gather, and officials would be seeking advice from the Department of Justice to see whether legal action could be taken.

Seventeen foreign domestic helpers were fined last weekend for violating the gathering ban. The government has warned that the two-person gathering limit will be strictly enforced this weekend.