By Daisy CL Mandap
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| Dr Au displays graph showing 14,715 verified new RAT cases were received as of midnight last night |
The
Centre for Health Protection today reported 28,475 newly confirmed PCR cases
and an additional 2,018 infections through the newly set up platform for
reporting positive results from rapid antigen tests (RATs), for a total tally of 30,493.
The actual figure could be higher, though, as 14,715 new cases reported to the website had been verified, but 12,697 of them could not be confirmed because supporting documents like photos of their HKIDs and positive RAT results were not submitted on time.
The Hospital Authority, on the other hand, reported a staggering 297 Covid-19 related deaths, 160 of which happened within the past 24 hours, and the remaining 127 dating back to as early as Feb. 21 but were not reported on time.
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CHP’s Dr Albert Au said the infection appears to have stabilized based on the recent number of cases detected, but the new reporting platform for RATs would provide authorities with a better picture of the situation.
Au said that as of midnight
last night, a total of 17,236 reports were made of positive results obtained
between Mar 6 and 7 alone through the new platform: www.chp.gov.hk/ratp.
But
upon verification, they found that some of the cases had already been reported
to them based on the patients’ HKID numbers that were submitted.
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Responding to queries on why the figures reported were much lower than the 200,000 or so people seen queueing within three hours of the platform being launched, Au said the positive results that were obtained between Feb 26 and Mar 5 were not being added to the tally yet.
But he said these cases will be eventually be added after confirmation “so we can have a more accurate grasp of the extent of the epidemic."
Au also said that while reporting a RAT infection is not mandatory – yet – patients should do so as their failure to report a Covid-19 infection will have future implications on their medical records, as when they should get a new vaccine dose if they need it.
Under Cap559 (A) or the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, the government is also mandated to issue isolation and quarantine orders on people who get infected with Covid-19 and their household contacts so as to prevent the spread of the disease.
A liability could ensue if an infection is not reported, and there is an immuno-compromised person living in the same household whose life was put at risk.
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Au also reported four people with chronic illnesses, three males and one female, who were found dead at home by paramedics, and upon testing in the morgue, were found positive for Covid-19.
Their deaths were not included in the fatality toll which only counts patients who died in public hospitals.
An updated study of the deceased patients showed 94.8% of them were aged 65 and above, and 69.3% were over 80 years old. The death rate among those who were not vaccinated remained 20x more than those who received full vaccination.
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| Hospital data show the elderly and unvaccinated are at most risk of serious complications |
The 160 patients who died Monday were made up of 92 males and 68 females aged 4 to 105 years old.
Eighty-six of them came from residential care homes, and 116 had no vaccination dose at all – two factors that again highlighted the need to get more residents there to get vaccinated to save them from serious complications from a Covid-19 infection.
Ho said the case of the four-year-old girl with a congenital heart problem was reported yesterday. She was taken to Queen Mary Hospital after vomiting early on Monday, and was found to have no heartbeat. She was briefly resuscitated but died a few hours later.
She mentioned three other fatalities aged 20, 25 and 36, who all suffered from chronic ailments. The first had a heart condition, the second, cerebral palsy, and the third, both Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy.
The 127 additional deaths that were reported late involved 68 males and 59 females, aged 56 to 102.
A total of 178 recoveries were recorded as of 9am today.
The number of infected HA staff rose to 10,400 but 3,294 of them have gone back to work.
Ho said their focus now is on reducing deaths and infections so more facilities are being retrofitted so they could be used solely for treating Covid patients.
North Lantau Hospital, Tin Shui Wai Hospital and Kwong Wah Hospital have already been converted into Covid-only hospitals.
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