Coronavirus: Hong Kong to tighten quarantine guidelines for aged shut contacts, high-risk teams as well being chief warns of ‘very critical scenario’

“The epidemic scenario could be very critical now, and it’s not dominated out that an infection numbers will quickly exceed 10,000 instances per day.”

He warned: “I hope the general public will keep cautious … and minimise large-scale gatherings … in any other case, the federal government might don’t have any selection however to tighten different social-distancing measures.”

On Friday, well being authorities confirmed 7,835 new coronavirus infections, together with 170 imported ones, in addition to seven extra associated deaths. The town’s coronavirus tally now stands at 1,495,807 infections and 9,650 fatalities.

Underneath the brand new coverage, shut contacts aged 70 or above – with one dose of a vaccine or none – in addition to these in high-risk teams, together with folks and not using a appropriate residence setting, must quarantine at a government-run facility.

From Sunday, patrons at banquets – which Lo classed as greater than eight folks eating collectively – must take a fast antigen check (RAT) 24 hours earlier than the occasion and current a photograph of a damaging consequence for entry, consistent with the identical coverage required for bar-goers.

The well being minister additionally dismissed worries that the surge of infections was linked to just lately relaxed quarantine measures for incoming travellers, saying there was solely a median of 195 imported instances every day, the same determine to earlier than the coverage being eased.

To deal with the rising variety of folks needing remedy for Covid-19, the Hospital Authority earlier within the day revealed it had entered its third stage of epidemic response, doubling the variety of beds obtainable for such sufferers to five,000, whereas encouraging extra non-public hospitals to absorb instances.

The federal government individually stated Secretary for Commerce and Financial Growth Algernon Yau Ying-wah and Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing had examined constructive for Covid-19 and have been presently serving quarantine.

They’re the most recent senior officers to be contaminated with the coronavirus after Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee and Director of Immigration Au Ka-wang returned constructive outcomes on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

Respiratory medication professional Dr Leung Chi-chiu informed a radio programme the present pandemic pattern was “not optimistic”.

“Why are we seeing this general enhance in instances? That is primarily due to the fast enhance of BA.5 variant infections, in different phrases, it’s rising at a tempo that’s doubling each week ,” he warned.

Leung estimated there have been about 3,600 BA.5 variant instances reported on Thursday when the each day Covid-19 tally hit 8,579 – the very best since March 27.

“If these instances develop exponentially in per week, then subsequent week, the BA.4 or BA.5 numbers could be about 7,000,” he stated. “Including the 4,000 instances from different variants, then our case numbers will go over 10,000 inside subsequent week.”

The final time the town noticed infections hit the ten,000 mark was March 25 with 10,405 instances.

Leung cautioned that if reinfections counted amongst new instances additionally continued to rise, there is perhaps an opportunity the determine may surge to a low five-digit.

The Centre for Well being Safety stated on Thursday it anticipated each day Covid-19 numbers to achieve 10,0000 “quickly”, making a heavy burden on the healthcare system. However it dismissed the potential for the surge in instances as an indication of the start of a sixth wave.

It famous the fifth wave had by no means ended regardless of instances dropping to some lots of in April.

Hospital Authority chief government Tony Ko Pat-sing informed the identical radio programme on Friday that the third stage of an epidemic response had been triggered this week, and the quantity of beds for coronavirus sufferers could be elevated.

“We hope within the third stage, round subsequent week maybe, we will have 3,000 or extra beds, in order that we will organize for these suspected or confirmed to be contaminated with Covid-19 to enter our quarantine amenities,” he stated.