Lo quick to void vax waivers

All 20,000 Covid vaccine waiver certificates will become void from November 9, as Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau invoked a newly amended law that took effect yesterday.

It came less than a week after a High Court judge ruled he had no power to do so.

Earlier yesterday Lo said authorities have moved quickly to amend the law to ensure that the government has the power to protect public health.

Although Lo's defense was backed by a majority of lawmakers, Doreen Kong Yun-foon said he had no right to invalidate certificates.

Authorities should explain to citizens more clearly the rationale behind the move, Kong said on radio. She also questioned the need to extend the vaccine pass law until June.

The only non-establishment lawmaker, Tik Chi-yuen, criticized the legal amendments.

"We urged the government to be more thoughtful when tackling some sensitive problems in society," Tik said. "This time the government has damaged its own credibility."

Lo rejected criticism of the amendment by Kwok Cheuk-kin, who accused the government of creating a "heads I win, tails you lose" situation.

"It's not whether the government wins, or someone else wins. We have to make sure that it's all the citizens of Hong Kong who win in this battle against Covid," Lo said.

The amended ordinance will allow Lo to declare a certificate ineffective if he suspects a doctor had not conducted a clinical assessment before issuance. Lo will also have the power to invalidate all vaccine exemption certificates issued by certain doctors "out of public interest."

The chairman of Hong Kong Patients' Voices, Alex Lam Chi-yau, described the legal amendments as bizarre and criticized the government for using them to invalidate the court ruling.

"The feeling of those citizens affected was like riding a roller-coaster these weeks," he said.

Meanwhile, a University of Hong Kong microbiologist, Ho Pak-leung, suggested holders of jab waiver certificates should show a rapid test negative result before entering mask-off premises.

"A medical exemption certificate is not an anti-pandemic tool. People who hold a certificate would still spread the virus if they get infected," Ho said.

But he also suggested the government reduce the number of premises under the vaccine pass.