As the number of deadly coronavirus cases in Hong Kong climbs, maintaining public hygiene remains a vital step in curbing the spread of the SARS-like strain in the community. But tens of thousands of local street cleaners have been confronted with an imminent shortage of face masks – an essential item in their daily work. And many have been told to “figure it out” on their own.

Kwan, who works for a government contractor and only gave her last name for fear of reprisals, told HKFP that her employer has not provided any face masks for work this month amid a citywide shortage. Prior to the outbreak of the virus, which has infected 48 people in Hong Kong as of Tuesday, Kwan said she and a colleague would be given a box of 50 masks to share each month, but now has to find her own supply.

Street sanitation workers cleaning a street in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Kelly Ho/HKFP.

“My employer said everyone in Hong Kong is trying to buy face masks and they couldn’t buy any [for us]. Even if we don’t have any masks, we still need to work. They told us to figure it out on our own,” she said.

Kwan pointed to the mask she was wearing and said it was given to her by relatives. She had tried to stock up on face masks but was discouraged by the time it took to queue outside pharmacies, which often clashed with her working hours. There are around 20 single-use masks left at her home; with such limited supply, she said she will have to start reusing them soon.

“When I’m running short on face masks, I will just put them under the sun for a while and reuse them. What else can I do?” Kwan asked.

Another street cleaner, Chan, who is employed by a different government contractor and did not want to reveal her full name, told HKFP that she was facing the same supply problem. Her contractor has only given her one mask to use since February 1. A group of social workers gave her five more during a visit last Friday. She has been told not to skip work even if she does not have a mask to wear, so she plans to cover her face with a towel instead.

File photo: GovHK.

“Our work schedule was set a long time ago, there is no way we can just skip work. Luckily, I don’t have to handle domestic waste. I think that is worse than cleaning the streets,” she said.

Last Thursday, the environmental hygiene sector warned that their protective supplies could only last about two weeks, according to a survey released by the Environmental Services Contractors Alliance (Hong Kong), which polled more than 30 cleaning firms.

Alliance convener Catherine Yan urged the government to supply at least five million masks to the 250,000 front line cleaners, who need to use at least two masks a day. Otherwise, the city could become “filthy”, as workers might be forced to stop working, the sector warned.

In a press conference on February 6, the environmental hygiene sector warned that their protective supplies could run out in two weeks. Photo: Environmental Services Contractors Alliance.

In response, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Saturday that 700,000 face masks produced by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) were to be distributed freely to street cleaners employed by government contractors. However, she did not reveal any details on when the masks were to be distributed or how. “Generally speaking, the needs of cleaners, including their equipment and face masks, should be provided by the contractors. Unfortunately, they are facing immense difficulty in purchasing,” she said.

Lam’s plan was welcomed by Yan, whose alliance represents around 80 per cent of the industry’s sanitation companies. She praised the plan as a “great morale booster,” as it would help the sector tackle its most pressing concerns. But she estimated the 30,000 government-contracted cleaners would use up the supply in less than a month because they have to use at least one mask per day.