With regard to the rumours that the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of the Health Bureau required citizens to pay for the hotel quarantine fees through WeChat. After verification with the Health Bureau, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre dismisses the rumours.

As many mainland residents are accustomed to using WeChat as a communication tool, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) will indeed use WeChat and other social software to contact people who are subject to control measures; however, the authorities will never ask the public to transfer money, remit money, pay fees or disclose financial account information.

The Centre emphasizes that when contacting relevant individuals via WeChat, the CDC primarily asks them for locations, photos of rapid antigen test results, etc., CDC will never ask the public to transfer money, remit money, pay fees or disclose their bank information or other financial account information.