No 2 official says government will only consider issuing such an announcement when disasters happen following extreme weather events
An “extreme conditions” announcement in Hong Kong does not constitute an order to suspend work, the No 2 official has said, following criticism that the government did not make such a declaration to prevent workers from commuting ahead of Tuesday’s record-breaking downpours.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki on Saturday addressed criticism for failing to convene a steering committee meeting on handling extreme weather, which he chairs.
He said that members of the public were well protected as the committee’s emergency coordination command centre was automatically activated, with all-out support across all government departments to address devastation.
“The ‘extreme conditions’ announcement is not a work-suspension order. I hope members of the public do not have this kind of misunderstanding,” he told a radio programme.
