Words must be colored with care

Okay, now I get it. The impending Covid color codes will only apply to two groups of people - red for the infected and yellow for inbound travelers undergoing part of their mandatory quarantine at home.

Why on earth didn't Health secretary Lo Chung-mau say so earlier?

Is he aware that, since he revealed his readiness to refer to the mainland and Macau's examples to use various colors to differentiate people according to their Covid status, his lengthy but less-than-clear remarks stoked fears in the community?

Questions abounded, with people asking whether they would also be flagged and prevented from dining out if a neighbor in the same building but on a different floor was given either a red or yellow code.

Many also asked whether their code would turn yellow if they came close enough on the street to somebody who had been flagged.

There were a myriad unanswered questions and the health minister failed to ease speculation by not clarifying the matter over the weekend.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had to intervene yesterday, confirming that only two groups of people will be color-coded - the infected and inbound travelers completing their hotel quarantine.

His statement should help dismiss the fears that were rampant over the weekend.

If it is certain that the scope will not be expanded later to include others - or used for other purposes - the chief executive's assurance should stop the speculation.

The public understands that those infected or under quarantine should protect others by isolating themselves, so the entire fuss could have been avoided.

Perhaps the policy was still under development - if so, Lo should have spoken with greater caution.

It seems that the doctor-turned-politician still has much to master in delivering sensitive information. And it has nothing to do with whether one is a nurse or a doctor - the job of public administration demands more than medical skills.

And while an expert is free to state his or her opinions, it has been common of late to hear various experts offering conflicting views on the same subject.

However, as the public was warned to prepare for color codes, it is regrettable that Lo dwelled on the sensitive issue of personal freedom. As he did, he linked a person's freedom of movement to their personal health and, alarmingly, likened an infected individual to a public threat.

If he were still a doctor at the Shenzhen hospital, this would have been fine - even though such remarks would still have been strong enough to raise eyebrows.

The comparison could drive a wedge in society, dividing people into classes and causing the so-called "normal" majority to discriminate against the accused "infected" minority despite the fact that millions of residents are believed to have already been infected during the fifth wave.

Now that he is a government minister, Lo's words carry enormous weight and he must speak responsibly.

Speaking publicly about a policy that is still under development only confuses rather than helps the public to understand it.

Meanwhile, Lee said he is in the process of reforming the Covid expert panel.

Will there be surprises? Let's wait and see.