Covid-19 | Footprint records on health code soon to become reality

LeaveHomeSafe, a digital contact tracing app launched by the Hong Kong Government

A footprint tracing function, endorsed by the Personal Data Protection Office, will likely be introduced to the Health Code system soon, Dr Leong Iek Hou, coordinator of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the regular health press conference yesterday.
She added that the addition of the function to the platform is now in progress, and she anticipates its forthcoming roll-out.
Regarding personal data security concerns, the public health doctor stressed that no data will be uploaded to any shared server owned or operated by the government. She said that the function will operate in such a way that data recorded will only be stored on the mobile device of the user.
Similar to the footprint functions used in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China, users are required to scan a QR code posted at various – if not all – public venues to develop records of their movements.
Leong did not explain how follow-up operations will be conducted. Given precedents set by the aforementioned territories, text messages are likely to be sent to users who have been to the same venues visited by a patient to notify them of any precautionary measures that need to be taken.
The function has become increasingly anticipated by certain members of the public, as the four newest patients in the city were not able to clearly recall their movements in the days preceding their diagnosis.
On another topic, Leong asked the public to update their addresses on the health code platform. She blamed users with incorrect addresses registered for putting extra workloads onto the Health Bureau during this “time of intense epidemic control.”
“Because of a non-updated address, they had their health code turned to red, and they [then] pushed to have the code corrected, which at the end of the day put a heavier burden to our team,” Leong recalled.

No mass events allowed
Leong referred to epidemiology to justify the current policy that no mass event can be held for the time being, as Macau is still not completely safe from new contagion or even outbreaks.
She stressed that Macau can only be considered totally safe when it achieves zero new cases for 28 consecutive days.
However, this does not mean that the 28-day target is an immovable threshold. “The consideration should take into account the impact on economic performance,” she said.
A similar scenario took place last year when the government stressed that the risks of outbreaks were still high, but gave green lights to the Food Festival and the Grand Prix.

DSEDJ undecided on school year start
With most schools having set their school year start between September 1 and 6, and as mass gatherings and events are discouraged by the health authorities, there may be an as yet unannounced delay on the commencement of the new academic year.
Wong Ka Ki, head of the Education and Youth Development Bureau’s Non-Tertiary Education Department, said at the press conference that guidelines regarding the matter have been distributed to schools.
Cross-border students will be allowed to begin their new school year several days later than normal, Wong added.

Case of Bell’s palsy recorded
Health authorities reported another adverse events following immunization (AEFI) yesterday as a 31-year-old man suffered from Bell’s palsy after being administered with the second dose of Sinopharm vaccine.
The man received his second jab on August 12 and reported his case on August 18.
In April, three residents also suffered from Bell’s palsy after being inoculated with Covid-19 jabs.