Hotline which never connects – infected citizens left home without support

Covid-19 patients left home to buy medicine due to lack of support from the government, and some even risked going back to work, a lawmaker said.

Vincent Cheng Wing-shun from Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, in the Kowloon West constituency, said in a radio program on Sunday he received 200 to 300 requests for help from citizens every day. 

The citizens said they could not connect to the government hotline which offers assistance to the infected staying home. Neither could they reach the Department of Health. 

With no medicine at home and no assistance from authorities, those who tested positive had no choice but to head out for supplies – although they are advised to stay home to avoid infecting the others. 

For some others, they could not get hold of any antipyretic in stores although they had fever, Cheng said. 
While the government said it will set up a system for people to report their rapid test results and to confirm their infections, it has yet to be launched after a week. 

With no official confirmation of one's Covid infection, workers face difficulties in getting sick leave. Some headed back to work, Cheng said.

Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of Society for Community Organization, said a baby had high fever for several days straight to the point that its face changed color. But the baby could not be admitted to hospital on the same day, worrying the parents.

Even when the patients tested positive, they could not go to quarantine even after a week's wait – increasing risks for them to infect their family members, especially in crowded environments such as partition flats. 

Citizens are not given clear instructions on how they can alleviate their symptoms during their stay at home. They did not receive any assistance on food, and had to rely on non-government organizations for support.