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Coronavirus vaccine
OpinionLetters

LettersAs Hong Kong opens up vaccination centre jobs, data privacy is a concern

  • Temporary workers may be able to access people’s sensitive personal information. Hopefully, this will not set a precedent, such as for Legco elections

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Workers manage the queue outside the Sha Tin Community Vaccination Centre on March 27. Photo: Felix Wong
Letters
Last month, the government said it planned to offer tourism industry staff short-term jobs in its vaccination centres. It set academic and experience requirements for the different positions. Given that the registration procedure and clerical support required are supposed to be routine and uncomplicated, I believe qualified participants should be capable of performing the duties effectively. I appreciate the government’s intention to help tour guides whose livelihoods have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, data privacy protection is a major issue which should not be ignored.

Those who work in the vaccination centres can access sensitive personal information, such as people’s names, Hong Kong identity card numbers, contact numbers and perhaps even their addresses. Any improper handling of personal data would breach privacy protection rules.

Some may argue that this is a matter of personal integrity and that even when the work is restricted to civil servants, there are still privacy concerns. But it is easier for the government to hold its officers accountable for misconduct. I am not confident that all non-civil servant staff will treat privacy protection as a serious matter especially as the job will last only about five months.

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I do not expect my letter to change the government’s decision. But I hope that this is a one- off measure and will not be seen as a precedent for other public activities, particularly the coming Legislative Council elections. The government must be aware that the personal data of voters is very sensitive information; its mishandling will backfire on the government.
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Stanley Ip, Sai Wan Ho

Why not let the vaccinated off lockdown and quarantine?

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With the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines continuing at a rate lower than what the Hong Kong government (and many Hongkongers) would like to see, coupled with “ambush-style” lockdowns, mandatory testing and quarantine for residents of entire buildings and blocks, I am left wondering why the government does not offer incentives for the fully vaccinated, such as being allowed to avoid lockdown and quarantine.

Mandatory testing may still make sense, but if vaccines are supposed to lead us back to resuming normal life, why not lift the very stressful fear of being locked down and/or quarantined by offering this to those who have got both their jabs?

Alan Schiffman, Mid-Levels

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