Disciplined services volunteers join anti-virus fight

Men and women from Hong Kong's various disciplined services branches, including the fire service and customs and excise, have stepped into the front line against the novel coronavirus, checking on those quarantined as potentially infected.

On Feb 21, Anson Tsui Hung-cho put on goggles and a mask. He joined three other members of the Hong Kong Disciplined Services Volunteer Corps to make their first rounds, checking on people's welfare and ensuring that quarantine was being respected.

The team set out for the Sham Shui Po community to check on travelers who had arrived from the Chinese mainland and faced mandatory 14-day quarantine. Each team member carried a small bag containing disinfectants and disposable gloves.

Tsui said he was nervous. He had prepared a change of clothing for when the mission was over.

"After all, you can't see the virus and you are in contact with people in high-risk areas," he said.

The volunteers were summoned via an online chatroom operated by the corps. In all, they visited about 300 households to ensure no one broke quarantine.

Tsui reckoned his efforts would ease the burden on front-line officers. Since Feb 8, when the edict came into effect, 13,694 people have been placed under mandatory home quarantine.

The team checked an elderly couple on a public estate. Many seniors have difficulty using smartphones, but the devices are important as the government uses them to keep track of people. As the couple didn't have phones, Tsui fitted tracking bands around their ankles, which can locate people without the need for smartphones.

Mak Kam-fai, a retired firefighter and chairman of the corps, said the volunteers focus on seniors who don't use smartphones. "When they cross the border, immigration officers note their home address and we do follow-up checks to ensure they stay home," he said.

Volunteers also take key roles in call centers, helping police with the daily workload of more than 100,000 calls to those in quarantine, who must be phoned every two hours.

The corps was established to help restore Hong Kong after the city was battered by Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. In late January, 10 minutes after Mak sent out the first call for quarantine and infection volunteers, more than 200 raised their hands.

"Disciplined services officers are committed to helping society. They are at the anti-virus forefront, on－and off-duty. I respect them," Mak said.

On Feb 12, he received an urgent request from the government to transport furniture to the Chun Yeung Estate in the city's Fo Tan area.

The estate needed to be ready the following day, when over 300 Hong Kong residents were set to fly home from the virus-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess, which was anchored off Japan.

Mak received the request at 3 pm. He was unsure if he could assemble enough volunteers at such short notice, and he prepared to work overnight. When he arrived at the estate, he was delighted to see that 50 volunteers had already arrived. The work was finished by 8 pm, with over 100 volunteers taking part.

The corps' achievements are well-known, and China Pacific Insurance has provided HK$12 million ($1.5 million) in insurance. Mak said it was an "encouraging" gift for everyone involved.