Virus spike prompts stringent HK rules
Print Edition
THE number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong reached a new high in over three months yesterday, prompting the government to roll out more stringent measures to curb further spreading of the virus.
The Center for Health Protection said there were 68 new cases, including 61 local infections reported, taking Hong Kong’s total tally to 5,628. Twelve of the local cases had unknown origins and most of the remaining cases were related to dancing club clusters.
The Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said a compulsory testing order was issued to those who have been to the 14 places whereby the dancing gatherings have taken place, as the number of unlinked cases has been increasing in the past few days.
To reduce the risk of transmission, classes for low-grades primary school students and in kindergartens have been suspended; special groups such as patients with symptoms, care home staffs and taxi drivers have been given compulsory testing; and more sampling stations have been set up.
Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung urged the public to strengthen self-discipline and self-protection, reduce unnecessary trips and gatherings, pay attention to personal and environmental hygiene, and strictly observe epidemic prevention regulations and restrictions.
Head of the CHP’s Communicable Disease Branch Chuang Shuk-kwan said the new cases have been rising rapidly, and warned of a fourth wave of the epidemic outbreak.
Due to the worsening epidemic, the bilateral Air Travel Bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore, which allows a limited number of passengers to fly both ways without having to go through quarantine and was due to start yesterday, will be postponed for two weeks, Hong Kong’s minister of commerce and economic development, Edward Yau, said. “For any scheme to be successful, they must fulfill the condition of securing public health, and also make sure that both sides would be comfortable and feel safe about the scheme,” Yau said. “In light of the situation in Hong Kong, I think it’s the responsible way to put this back for a while, and then sort of relaunch it at a suitable juncture.”
The Hong Kong government said in a statement on Saturday morning that live performance and dancing will be suspended in catering premises, including bars and nightclubs, and party rooms for holding social gatherings will be closed. The new measures will be effective for five days starting yesterday.
To reduce imported cases, the government also raised the threshold for the crew members of flights to obtain exemption of quarantine. Among the new requirements is that they must have a negative testing result within 48 hours and take another test after arriving in Hong Kong.
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