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| Drs Chuang and Ho at today's press briefing: drastic measures may be taken if hospitals are overwhelmed |
The warning came as 73 new confirmed cases were reported
today, Jul 20, the second highest daily toll after yesterday’s record of 108
cases. Of these cases, 66 are locally acquired, and seven are imported, including one Filipino seafarer.
The first to sound out the alarm was top microbiologist Yuen
Kwok-yung who said in a radio interview that Hong Kong may have to go into a
virtual lockdown if the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase in
the next one or two weeks.
He described the measure as “close to a lockdown” of the
entire city.
At today’s Covid-19 press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of
the Centre for Health Protection did not discount this possibility.
“If the cases increase exponentially, then of course we will
be overwhelmed and we will need to take
new measures,” Chuang said.
She said today’s decline in the number of cases from
Monday’s record tally cannot be seen as a downward trend as they reflect the
situation in the past two to three weeks because of the incubation period of
the disease.
Of the seven imported cases, four involved seafarers,
including one who flew in from the Philippines ,
another from Korea and two
from Qatar Japan ,
another traveler from Ehiopia, and another from Kazakhstan
Among today’s local cases, 39 are linked to previous
infections, including 24 that spread among family members, a new one at a table
tennis center in Yau Ma Tei and at the Eye Centre in Tuen Mun.
But a number of new infections are causing concern,
including a doctor who runs a clinic in Causeway Bay
Several clusters of people who dined at restaurants were
also in list, including three more family members who had a meal at ChiuChow Garden at MetroPlaza in Kwai Fong, making a total of nine infections; and six patrons of Victoria Harbour
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| 6 of today's cases dined at Victoria Harbour restaurant in MetroPark Hotel in Mongkok |
There were also several cases linked to the Fulum restaurant
in Tuen Mun Central Square
Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority, meanwhile urged
people to go to private laboratories if they want to get themselves tested for
the disease and are asymptomatic, so as not to put a strain on the public
health system.
“Those without symptoms but want to be tested must approach
private laboratories recognized by the government…the A&E (accident and
emergency) sections of public hospitals will only provide tests for patients
with symptoms,” she said.
