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| No new case has been detected, even among new arrivals at the airport |
For the
second time this week, no new case of Covid-19 was reported in Hong Kong today,
Apr 24.
Thus, there was no briefing again today by the city’s health officials as on Monday, when no new case was also recorded. The last time this happened was on Mar 5, nearly
two months ago.
Hong
Kong’s total tally since the first case was recorded on Jan 24 this year is now
steady at 1,035. But only about a third of the patients are still in 14 public hospitals.
The rest have been discharged after recovering.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye! |
The
death toll has remained at four.
What makes
Hong Kong unique is that not one of its health workers has been infected with
the virus. This could be attributed both to them being provided with enough PPEs
(personal protective equipment) and the strict health protocol being followed
in the city.
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| Medical personnel at Eastern Hospital with posters urging people to follow social distancing |
Everyone
found infected, even those who don’t have symptoms, is put in an isolation room
in a hospital. They will be discharged only if they return several negative
results, to ensure they don’t infect anyone else after leaving the hospital.
To date,
a total of 187 asymptomatic carriers have been detected and hospitalized.
Lately,
all residents (including migrant workers, students and diplomatic staff) returning
from overseas are being required to undergo tests for the virus at AsiaWorld-Expo
near the airport, and will not be allowed to go home until the test results are
out.
Those
who arrive in the afternoon or in the evening are taken to Regal Oriental hotel in Kowloon where they are quarantined overnight while waiting for their test
result.
If the
result is positive, the traveler is brought directly to a hospital. If
negative, the traveler is put under a mandatory home quarantine for 14 days,
and tracked with an electronic wristband to ensure he or she doesn’t venture
out. The penalties for violators are stiff.
Since
Apr 12, the number of new cases has remained in the single digit, and most of
them were brought in by returning residents, mostly from Britain and the United
States.
The last
locally acquired case was reported on Apr 19. It pertains to a 47-year-old
ground crew of Virgin Atlantic who is tasked with ushering arriving passengers to transport links to the immigration counters at the airport. The source of
her infection is still being investigated.
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| But social distancing measures will stay in place until May 7 |
Despite its
exemplary handling of the outbreak, Hong Kong is not taking any chances. Its
social distancing rules, which allow no more than four people to gather in
public, have been extended until May 7.
Also in
line with this policy, venues which attract large gatherings like amusement
parks, cinemas, clubs, sports facilities, gyms, massage and beauty parlors,
will remain closed.
Restaurants
remain open, but are allowed to sit only four people per table, which should at
least be 1.5 meters apart.
The
airport remains closed to non-residents.
