(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong’s Covid contact-tracing app has begun flagging users who haven’t uploaded vaccination records, as the city struggles to contain a resurgent outbreak that’s taxing its health system.
The LeaveHomeSafe app — mandatory for entrance to many restaurants and other public venues — was updated over the weekend and now flashes a red QR code on its check-in page for users that haven’t linked to an official immunization record.
Hong Kong is battling its most severe surge of Covid infections since the start of the pandemic, testing the city’s zero-tolerance approach to the virus. The app, which has courted controversy since introduction, was updated just as Hong Kong is preparing to initiate a “vaccine pass” on Feb. 24 — when most public venues from malls to schools and restaurants begin barring patrons who haven’t had at least one shot.
Some city residents have resisted uploading their vaccination status over privacy concerns, even as pressure grows from Beijing for stronger measures in Hong Kong to control a record fifth Covid-19 wave.
The LeaveHomeSafe app is not intended to be a tracking device, Tony Wong, the city’s deputy government chief information officer, told reporters on Monday. Vaccine information stored within the app is encrypted and will only be accessible by health authorities if a confirmed case emerges at a venue the user has visited, he added.
Read more: Hong Kong Mulls Tighter Curbs as Cases Surge Past 7,500
There are no plans currently to mandate real-name registration or location tracking within the software, as that would require the app’s entire architecture be rebuilt, said Francis Fong, member of an advisory committee on technological developments for Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner.
“It will take months to develop and review the whole architecture, the whole system, and I don’t think we can wait for months right now,” said Fong, who’s also the honorary president of the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation. “And there are the concerns of the privacy issues of Hong Kong citizens.”
Hong Kong reported more than 7,500 cases on Monday, as the latest surge overwhelms the city’s medical and Covid-19 testing systems. Lawmakers have previously called for a tracking function to be added to the LeaveHomeSafe app, moving a step closer to contact tracing processes used in mainland China, which is location-based and rely on real-name registration.
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