Color codes on way to make jab checks easier

Authorities will develop a system similar to the health code to classify people's vaccination records by color to simplify the process for checking records, a catering veteran says.

Speaking on a radio program yesterday, the chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, Leung Chun-wah, said customers and restaurant operators will be penalized if law enforcers find unvaccinated customers.

Those violating rules will probably be asked to stop dining-in services after 6pm, he said. Leung said the sector is concerned about the checking methods as restaurants used to deploy a number of staff to check vaccination records.

The government is asking the Innovation and Technology Bureau to develop another system similar to the health code system to help restaurants check people's vaccine records, he said.

"The new system in the LeaveHomeSafe app will use different colors to show whether customers are vaccinated," Leung said.

"There will be a green page after vaccinated customers scan the LeaveHomeSafe QR code. As for unvaccinated people, a red page will pop up after they scan the QR code," he said.

He also said the Moon Palace cluster was an isolated case, claiming that restaurants have followed the government's requirement to ensure six air changes per hour to improve ventilation.

The chairman of the government restaurant ventilation task force, Yuen Pak-leung, said yesterday the installation of ventilators at Moon Palace was problematic as it failed to facilitate air change of the entire eatery.

He said ultraviolet lights for disinfection should not be installed on ceilings as they will not be able to shed light across the dining area to kill the virus.

Meanwhile, the honorary chairman of the Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association, Langton Cheung Yung-pong, said schools were relieved that authorities do not plan to suspend classes.

Cheung said the government has not consulted the sector on any class-suspension arrangements.

Although schools have experienced handling suspension of face-to-face classes over the past two years, the government should still alert them at least three to five days in advance in case of any suspension, Cheung said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said "many educational psychologists have found that the suspension of face-to-face classes has a huge impact on students, especially grassroots students."

She added she would "not make this decision to suspend face-to-face classes again easily."

But respiratory expert Leung Chi-chiu told The Standard that he does not agree with Lam's "worrisome" decision, adding a suspension of face-to-face classes is important if a fifth wave of outbreak starts in Hong Kong.