By Daisy CL Mandap
 |
| Drs Chuang and Ho at today's press briefing: drastic measures may be taken if hospitals are overwhelmed |
Hong Kong health officials
are warning of stricter measures, including a stay-at-home order or a virtual
lockdown, if the number of Covid-19 cases continues to surge.
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.
The others were a pilot who flew in from 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,
and had visited an elderly home in North Point; and a patient who tested
positive after being put in a ward with 10 other patients following an
appendectomy.
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
restaurant at the Metropark Hotel in Mong Kok.
 |
| 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
where a birthday party was held, and about 20 tables were booked.
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.
Yu said the Lei Yue Mun holiday camp is being readied to take in patients if the public hospitals are filled to capacity in the next two weeks. She said the temporary hospital should be ready in 72 hours should the need arises.
As of noon today, she said 562 confirmed cases are in isolation rooms in 14 hospitals, 23 of them in critical condition, and 13 in serious condition. A total of 1,301 have been discharged, after eight more recoveries today.
The death toll remains at 12.
