Innovative technology could well be answer to troubles at Penny's Bay quarantine site
Recent blunders at the Penny's Bay quarantine camp have left occupants upset. Angry occupants appealed to the authorities to ensure their "safety and dignity", saying calls to the camp hotline went unanswered for hours.
To cope, the government should make use of information technology solutions to enhance communication. First, the government should fully deploy a common operational picture (COP), which is a central platform to enable the exchange of information and facilitate coordination among departments. For example, the Centre for Health Protection has information on the number of viral tests performed and occupancy at quarantine facilities, the Hospital Authority on the number of admissions and clinic and hospital services, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on food supply, the Education Bureau on class suspension arrangements, and the Information Services Department needs to refute rumours.
In case of emergency, the COP can provide the commander with a complete picture for the purposes of resource allocation. In the case of Penny's Bay, the government could mobilise more 24-seat vehicles and drivers, allocate bicycles or golf carts for staff making deliveries to the occupants, and deploy temporary workers from closed vaccination centres to provide services such as answering hotlines.
For residents, a one-stop personalised dashboard would offer peace of mind. If the authorities could release key information, such as the number of daily tests, the confirmed cases in their proximity, the meals of the day and the delivery times on a personalised dashboard, accompanied by a mobile app with real-time notifications, residents will be better prepared for quarantine.
The government is often criticised for not making good use of information tech. Some wonder if this is related to the background of the senior officials. In Singapore, ranked the smartest city in Asia, and Shenzhen, well known for using smart technology to manage the city and fight Covid-19, more members of the leadership team have engineering or science training than Hong Kong's leadership team.
I hope our officials can be open-minded and actively use advanced technology to deal with crises.
Dr. Winnie Tang
Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering; Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences; and Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong