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| Four people may now gather in public together from this Friday |
Starting this Friday, Sept. 11, the number of people who may
gather in public will again be increased to four from the present two, and more
public venues such as mahjong parlours, games arcades and most sports venues
will reopen.
However, the mask-wearing in public places and mass
transportation will remain in place.
The more relaxed measures were announced today, Sept. 8, as the Centre for
Health Protection announced that the number of new infections
had gone down to six, the lowest in more than two months.
Among the new cases were two Filipina domestic helpers who
tested positive on second screening while they were in quarantine. One arrived on
Aug 28 and the other, on Sept. 2.
A seafarer who arrived from Ukraine
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| Pindutin para sa detalye! |
Of the three remaining cases, one was linked to an outbreak
at the Transport City Building
The linked case was a cleaner in the Tai Wai building where
20 confirmed cases have so far been detected. CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said
more than 400 specimen bottles have been distributed to tenants of the
building, and about 25 close contacts on the heavily infected sixth floor will
be sent to quarantine.
The two cases detected through the UCTP were a Tai Wo Hau
resident who was found to be a family member of two infected patients, and a
housewife who lives with her family in Tuen Mun and often went to the wet
market and a nearby mall for shopping.
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| Call now! |
Dr Chuang also reported that test results from the Metropark
Hotel in Mong Kok have all been negative so far, despite three guests staying
on the same floor, and a relative of one of them, testing positive for Covid-19
last week.
All the test results gathered so far from three detention
centres have also yielded negative results. Two detainees who spent time in
either the Lai Chi Kok Detention Centre, Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, Castle
Peak Detention Facility and Pik Uk Prison, were found positive last week.
Also, a Thai overstayer who was found infected during
routine testing at the Castle Peak Detention Centre reportedly had a meal a few
weeks before his arrest with a British national who tested positive for the
virus afterwards. “So maybe that’s how he got infected,” said Chuang.
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The new cases brought the city’s total tally to 4,896 with
98 related deaths. A 90-year-old man who passed away at 8:57 this morning at
the Pamela Youde Nethersole
Eastern Hospital
But as of 9am today, only 220 confirmed patients are still
being treated in public hospitals and a community treatment facility.
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| Masks should still be worn while in public places |
Meanwhile, Secretary for Food and Health Dr Sophia Chan said
the further relaxation of social distancing measures were in line with the
government’s “suppress and lift approach” to combating the pandemic.
The modified restrictions will take effect for a week from
Friday, while those that have not been changed, like mask-wearing in public,
will be extended for another week.
Dr Chan said the government is still reviewing whether to
reopen other more risky venues like bath houses, swimming pools, karaokes and
pubs, and will make its decision known by next week.
| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
She again spoke of the importance of the UCTP, saying it has
so far uncovered a number of silent transmissions going on in the community,
including those possibly linked to two foreign domestic helpers who were found
infected during the mass testing.
The health chief also warned that the city should already be
preparing for the next wave of transmissions which could happen at the onset of
winter, but has yet to see the end of the current round of infections.
She said that as of noon today, a total of 1.23 million people
have already signed up for the universal testing, and 932,000 results have
already been determined.
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| PADALA NA! |
