Explainer | Hong Kong has updated its ‘Leave Home Safe’ Covid-19 app. Here’s what you need to know
- A new version of the ‘Leave Home Safe’ mobile app was made available for download on Thursday
- The new app will help restaurants and other venues check vaccination records
Only people who have received at least one Covid-19 shot will be allowed to enter restaurants and bars, government premises and venues such as gyms, theme parks and salons from February 24, as Hong Kong’s leader looks to increase the inoculation rate via the launch of a vaccine pass.
In preparation for the vaccine pass, which is a rebranding of the government’s vaccine bubble scheme, a new version of the “Leave Home Safe” mobile app was made available for download on Thursday.
The app allows patrons to scan QR codes upon arrival, creating a log of places visited without the collection of personal data or having movements tracked in real time. The government has repeatedly said that the data is saved on users’ mobile devices in an encrypted format.
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The app alerts users if they have visited places where they may have been exposed to the coronavirus. The government said the contact-tracing tool had been downloaded 7.5 million times since it was launched in November 2020.
At present, more than 110,000 venues require use of the app, among which about 87,000 are private.
What are the new features?
The new version of the app will display a QR code for the user’s electronic vaccination record or a medical exemption certificate for the unvaccinated.
It also features an inbuilt timer which is displayed after the user scans a QR code at a venue. This prevents anyone from entering places using a screenshot, which the government said would help venues verify the authenticity of the app.
When permitting customers to enter their premises, venue operators must use the “QR Code Verification Scanner” mobile app provided by the government.
Why update the app?
The app will make it easier to enter venues and facilitate the new vaccine pass.
Catering sector lawmaker Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who is also a member of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s cabinet, said he had been pushing for the update to help streamline the process of entering venues.
The update would allow less staff to be on hand to check vaccination records in addition to checking if visitors had scanned the app, leading to faster entry into restaurants and other venues, he said.
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Ben Leung Lap-yan, charter president of the Licensed Bar and Club Association of Hong Kong, agreed it would make it more convenient to enter restaurants and other premises.
However, he noted the public would also need to be educated on how to upload their vaccinations records for the process to work smoothly.
How to use the app?
Upon uploading a vaccination record or medical exemption certificate by using a QR code, people no longer need separate records.
“After scanning the venue QR code, the app will automatically show information about the venue and a blue QR code of either the user’s electronic vaccination record or [medical] exemption certificate, the authenticity of which would already be verified and stored in their mobile phone,” a government spokesman said.
If neither document is provided, the display will turn red.
Who can get a medical exemption certificate?
There are only two reasons people can get an exemption from the vaccination requirement: if they are ineligible for the vaccine due to age or health. They need to provide relevant proof from a doctor.
People who are medically unfit for the vaccine are required to obtain a certificate issued by a doctor, which will carry a QR code. The Department of Health has issued guidelines for private doctors that list out the various medical reasons that qualify for an exemption.
The certificate is valid for 90 to 180 days.
What are the prospects for those who don’t want to get vaccinated?
While describing Hong Kong’s vaccination rate as low, Lam revealed on Thursday she had set an inoculation target of 90 per cent. She ordered authorities to be “decisive and determined” in pushing more people to get shots.
The vaccine pass requirement will eventually be stepped up to include three shots, including a booster.
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On Friday, a source said the government was looking into whether the vaccine pass should be extended to crowded places such as shopping malls and to public transport amid the worsening fifth wave of cases. In France, a vaccine pass is required to attend seminars and trade shows, and for long-distance travel in planes, trains and buses.
Business operators have said they would like the vaccine pass to be implemented sooner rather than later.
With dining after 6pm banned in restaurants and dozens of other businesses such as bars, gyms and cinemas forced to close until February 17, Leung said he hoped the new rules would help the industry return and extend their hours.
As of Saturday, 79.1 per cent of the eligible population have received at least one dose, and 71.1 per cent have had two shots. About 911,000 have had their third dose.
