Covid-19 infections down to 4,475 but imported cases rise

By The SUN

 

Government doctors hold press briefing on latest Covid situation

Hong Kong’s daily Covid-19 tally fell significantly on Saturday, with 4,475 cases confirmed both from rapid and PCR tests.

Eighteen of the new cases were imported, with 13 of them among the more than 2,000 travelers who arrived on Friday, the first day of the resumption of travel from nine countries previously banned.

Of the new arrivals, four flew in via an Emirates flight EK384 from Dubai via Bangkok, triggering a one-week ban on the flight.

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The flight-suspension mechanism is activated when at least three passengers on a plane test positive on arrival in Hong Kong, or failed to comply with pre-boarding requirements.

Before Apr 1, the suspension used to last for two weeks.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the rise in the number of imported cases was not surprising.

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"The increase in the number of imported cases is expected, because previously we've banned some countries from flying to Hong Kong. All these imported cases will be isolated and treated," she said.

Surprisingly, all three flights from Manila that carried the biggest number of passengers into Hong Kong on Friday passed scrutiny, mirroring the easing of the pandemic situation in the Philippines.

From a record-high of some 39,000 Covid-19 cases in one day in mid-January, the daily tally in the country is now down to just about 300.

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The rapid surge in cases at the start of the year resulted in all flights from the Philippines being suspended one after another for bringing in numerous passengers who tested positive on arrival in Hong Kong.

On Jan. 8, the Philippines was included in the list of eight countries that were stopped from flying passengers into Hong Kong.

A big proportion of the 2,000 passengers who arrived on Apr 1 came from Manila

Meanwhile, 116 people with Covid-19 were reported to have died on Saturday, including 99 who passed away in public hospitals the previous day.

They took Hong Kong’s fatality toll from the fifth wave of the pandemic to 7,848, with the death rate rising to 0.68 percent.

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Included in the tally were 51 recorded in public mortuaries as well as two from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical Centre. The rest were all reported from public hospitals.

Hong Kong now has a total of 1,167,713 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Among them, 10,138 are still receiving treatment at public hospitals and the community isolation facility at AsiaWorld-Expo.

There are 79 patients in intensive care, including 15 who were recently listed as critical, while 27 are in serious condition.

A total of 1,439 patients were discharged from public hospitals during the 24-hour reporting period.

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