Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor today at her regular briefing said the Hong Kong government’s policy of requiring migrant domestic workers (PRT) to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as a precondition for renewal of employment contracts would be reviewed, Saturday (8/5/2021).
Lam said Secretary of Employment Law Chi-kwong would be asked to conduct a review and seek opinions from consular representatives from the migrant domestic worker’s country of origin.
Referring to the mandatory testing order for migrant domestic workers, Lam said she was aware that the two acts targeting migrant domestic workers had raised concerns. However, when viewed from a public health perspective, these measures are not discriminatory. In view of the virus risk, all migrant domestic workers must be tested for coronavirus disease by 9 May.
Migrant domestic workers groups have protested and alleged discrimination after domestic workers were ordered to be tested. Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) Chairman Ricky Chu said on Monday that the testing order was not discriminatory.
The Principal Secretary, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, also said that mandatory testing for migrant domestic workers aims to protect migrant domestic workers themselves, their employers’ families, including parents and children, as well as their families and friends.
