HONG KONG - Health Secretary Sophia Chan on Friday (Nov 20) said the city has “probably entered into a new wave of cases” following a spike in reported infections.
The Straits Times understands that the first few flights under a travel bubble arrangement between Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to proceed as planned for now.
Under the deal, the travel bubble will be suspended for two weeks if the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local Covid-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong.
The latest figure, calculated based on data by the Centre for Health Protection, is just over two, a source told The Straits Times.
On Friday, the territory added 26 confirmed cases, of which 21 were local and the rest imported. Details of untraceable cases were not revealed. Hong Kong has so far recorded 5,517 Covid-19 cases and 108 deaths.
The new cases comprised different clusters, including taxi drivers, hotel stays and dance studios, said Professor Chan, who disclosed that preliminary tests found another 30 people to be positive.
“We are now doing our best and before this severe situation started. In the past week, we have already tightened many of our measures, including border control measures, quarantine measures, hotel regulation measures, and also some of the social distancing measures,” she said.
Prof Chan on Friday disclosed that, as part of the tougher measures, high-risk groups such as taxi drivers and nursing home staff as well as patients who exhibit symptoms similar to Covid-19 when they visit doctors must undergo testing for the coronavirus.
On Nov 14, the government moved to tighten social distancing rules after detecting clusters among cab drivers and at a Lantau resort.
From Monday (Nov 16) until Nov 26, dine-in services will end two hours earlier at midnight. The number of customers at eateries, which have to operate at half capacity instead of 75 per cent, are now capped at four at each table, down from six. In bars and pubs, that number has been halved to two.
Given the popularity of staycations as borders remain shut, officials are looking at imposing a maximum of four guests in each room at resorts, hotels and guesthouses - the same limit as public gatherings in the territory.
Prof Chan said on Friday details would be ironed out soon as the government had met stakeholders on Thursday night.
The government has also tightened visiting arrangements for those serving mandatory 14-day quarantine periods after returning from overseas.
Separately, the Health Secretary said that from Nov 23, in-person classes for lower primary school levels (Standards 1 to 3) would be suspended for two weeks due to an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infections and Covid-19 concerns. She said classes at all schools may be cancelled if the situation worsened.
The decision came just over a week after kindergartens were ordered to close for two weeks due to upper respiratory tract infections.
“As the transmission routes of upper respiratory tract infections and Covid-19 are similar, if Covid-19 spreads at schools, the risk posed to the community is very high,” Prof Chan said.
Article From & Read More ( Hong Kong faces another Covid-19 wave; travel bubble with Singapore remains for now - The Straits Times )https://ift.tt/2KmxhWZ
Business
No comments:
Post a Comment