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Reuters

Business

Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as COVID takes toll

Hong Kong China Lam Yik

FILE PHOTO: A police officer instructs domestic workers gathering on their rest day to leave, during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hong Kong, China February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Lam Yik/File Photo

A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has cast a spotlight on the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus.

Hong Kong has around 340,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Many families in the city depend on live-in helpers for housekeeping and to look after the elderly and children, with the minimum wage set at HK$4,630 ($593) per month.

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