Hong Kong has been hit by the COVID-19 epidemic since early 2020. Amid the ongoing spread of the epidemic and the widespread fear among the public, correctional officers have remained composed. With a strong sense of social commitment, they have been making selfless efforts to help the community ride out the coronavirus crisis.

In early January 2020, it was reported that an infectious virus was found spreading in the Mainland. With the experience in handling the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, the Department anticipated a possible surge in demand for filter masks from government departments. Therefore, the Department made early response by deploying internal resources to raise mask production in early January. Overtime work was also arranged to boost the filter mask output. Meanwhile, the Department started to procure additional filter mask making machines and raw materials to cope with the drastic increase in demand for masks.

Later on, in response to the worsening epidemic situation and the dire shortage of filter masks in the market, the Department proactively explored various options to boost mask production and finally decided to unprecedentedly operate the filter mask workshop in Lo Wu Correctional Institution round the clock. Serving and retired correctional officers and civilian staff were recruited to work as volunteers to ramp up mask production. These serving and retired staff members, with exceptional zeal and selfless devotion, were keen to do their part to help Hong Kong fight the epidemic. The Volunteer Activity of Filter Mask Production Programme was participated by over 2 500 staff members who had worked for more than 40 000 hours, producing a monthly output of more than four million.

In April 2020, in view of the tight supply of child masks in the market, the Department demonstrated its versatility and flexibility, which are also the distinct attributes of Hong Kong people, by promptly converting one of its semi-automatic production lines into one for producing child masks. Subsequently, additional mask production lines were set up in Stanley Prison and Tung Tau Correctional Institution to further boost the production output. Since early January 2020, the mask production output had been gradually raised from about 1.1 million per month on average to a peak of about 5.4 million per month, to relieve the shortage of filter masks in government departments and schools.

In view of the lack of locally produced personal protective equipment, as exposed in the current epidemic, the Department immediately recommended the Government to establish a “Personal Protective Equipment Production Base”, and set up new production lines in Lo Wu Correctional Institution and Tai Lam Correctional Institution for manufacturing personal protective equipment like Disposable Protective Gowns, Disposable Caps and Protective Face Shields, with a view to providing strong backup for the Government in epidemic prevention and control, cultivating a sense of social responsibility among persons in custody and giving them an opportunity to make contributions to the strengthening of the local public healthcare system.

The raging epidemic can by no means dampen the enthusiasm of the Oi Kwan Volunteer Group in caring for the community. As in the past, the Group spares no effort in serving different community groups. In 2020, one of the major voluntary activities was the Volunteer Activity of Filter Mask Production Programme carried out at Lo Wu Correctional Institution, with over 2 500 members participating in it. Besides, even though some voluntary activities had to be postponed or cancelled in the wake of the epidemic, the Group still joined different anti-epidemic voluntary activities wherever possible, including packaging and distribution of masks to the grassroots and the elderly. Moreover, members of the Group also visited the elderly to distribute anti-epidemic packs to them and shared anti-epidemic information with them.

When Hong Kong was plagued by incessant large-scale riots in 2019, some correctional officers, with a strong sense of commitment to society, put themselves in the front line and volunteered to be the first batch of Special Constables to assist the Police in guarding Hong Kong outside their normal workplaces. The first batch of Special Constables who were mainly from the RRT of the CSD formally assumed duties in November 2019. They were deployed to guard government premises, assist in anti-riot operations, handle emergencies, etc. Later on, members of other disciplinary forces also took up appointment as Special Constables to assist in maintaining law and order, leading to an early resumption of peace and stability in Hong Kong.