Covid-19 cases surge to 56,827 while Omicron deaths top 1k mark

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The Omicron variant has proved to be deadliest in Hong Kong

The coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong continues to worsen, with another record-high 56,827 new cases being reported today, while the death rate in the fifth wave has surged to 1,153.

The newly reported infections took Hong Kong’s total Covid tally in the fifth wave alone to 337,926 cases.

But health officials say the real extent of the infection could be far more serious, as the confirmed reported cases only came  from PCR test results, and did not include those from rapid antigen tests (RATs), which are used by a lot more people now.

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“We estimate that there are hundreds of thousands of patients tested with RAT but we cannot confirm them,” said Dr. Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection at today’s press briefing.

Au said the platform through which RAT-positive patients could upload their information as well as those of their household contacts will be set up “in due course”. Previously, officials said it would be launched this week.

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The delay, said Au, is due to fear the system would crash from the volume of people who would rush to upload their RAT results.

“People with mild or no symptoms have not received PCR tests but have been tested positive with RAT so the traffic will be very high,” he said.

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He said CHP could not estimate the actual infection figure, but with the confirmed daily tally already breaching the 50-thousand mark, he said there is a big chance the positive results from RATs will be far more.

Adding to the grim picture was the record number of Covid-related deaths reported today.

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Hospital Authority’s Dr Larry Lee said 144 deaths were recorded on Wednesday, with an additional 43 that happened between Feb 24 and Mar 1 but were not reported on time.

The additional deaths pushed Hong Kong’s fatality toll from the fifth wave to 1,153.

Unvaccinated elderly people are high risk for serious Covid-19 infections, and death

Some reports say the city, which has a population of only 7.4 million, now has the highest fatality rate per capita in the world, surpassing even the worst daily figure posted in the United States, which used to hold the unenviable record.

Lee said that an overwhelming majority of those who died yesterday were elderly and unvaccinated - a pattern that has emerged since the Omicron wave spread through Hong Kong.

Of the 144 who died, 85 were males and 59 were females, aged 42 to 102. Except for 10, all the patients were aged above 65 years old. Fifty-six of them came from residential care homes.

No vaccination records were found for 124 patients, while 10 patients had two doses of a vaccine; and 10 others, one jab each.

All but one of the eight casualties who were aged below 60 years old had chronic illnesses like cancer while one had a mental disability.

The only one who had no serious medical problem was a man aged 54 who was rushed to United Christian Hospital on Feb 24 with fever and shortness of breath. He was eventually found to have a blocked artery and passed away yesterday.

Although he had diabetes and high blood pressure, the man did not have serious health issues, said Lee, so his case has been passed on to the coroner for investigation.

Lee said that among the 6,698 Covid-19 patients being treated in public hospitals, 78 are in critical condition while 116 are seriously ill.

A total of 720 patients with mild or no symptoms have been admitted to the Penny’s Bay isolation facility.

With public hospitals operating at capacity, Lee said the HA has been talking with  private hospitals to see if they would take in Covid patients with mild or no symptoms.

He said the CUHK Medical Centre has agreed to the proposal, and has reserved 24 beds for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Au dismissed a report that a new mutation of the Omicron variant was responsible for the deaths and serious side-effects on young children.

He said that so far, all the results of their tests showed it is still the Omicron BA.2 strain that is still circulating in Hong Kong.

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Buses, MTR, ferries to reduce passenger services

By The SUN

 

The bus companies have been hit with high infections and low patronage

Hong Kong’s main bus companies, the MTR Corporation and ferry companies have all announced reduced passenger services amid the rise in infections among their staff and a drop in passenger numbers.

In a press release issued Wednesday night, the Transport Department said that it has given approval to the franchised bus companies, mainly the Kowloon Motor Bus, New World First Bus, Citybus, Long Win Bus and New Lantao Bus to reduce services from Mar 4 to 16.

The Department also allowed the companies to suspend 98 routes with alternative public transport services available, five recreational routes operated during weekends and one overnight route.

In reaching the decision, the Department said it took into account factors such as manpower shortage, drop in patronage, occupancy, availability of alternative public transport services and efficient deployment of resources.

Meantime the frequencies of bus routes mainly serving tourists, heading to land boundary control points and the airport have already been cut or the service suspended due to the implementation of anti-epidemic measures at the border.

For details of the service adjustments, consult the announcements on the websites of the bus companies: 
 

Operator	Website
New World First Bus	www.bravobus.com.hk
Citybus	www.bravobus.com.hk
Kowloon Motor Bus	www.kmb.hk
Long Win Bus	www.lwb.hk
New Lantao Bus	www.nlb.com.hk

MTR trains will be traveling at less frequency, resulting to longer waits for passengers

The MTR Corporation also announced that weekday services of eight railway lines will be reduced from Friday, which will result in passengers having to wait one to four minutes longer for trains.

Both peak and non-peak services will be affected for the eight lines, namely East Rail, Tsuen Wan, Kwun Tong, Island, South Island, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung and Tuen Ma.

Train frequencies of the East Rail Line during weekends and public holidays will also be slightly adjusted.

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For the East Rail line, waiting time for morning peak period from 7.30am to 9.30am will be lengthened from a range of 2.9 to 3.5 minutes, to between 6 and 7 minutes.

Waiting time for Tsuen Wan line will increase from 2 minutes to a range of 3 to 3.6 minutes during the same period.

As for Island line, the normal wait of between 1.9 to 2.9 minutes will be lengthened to a range of 3.4 to 3.6 minutes.

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The MTR said the change resulted from staff shortage due to Covid-19 and a drastic reduction in patronage.

Around 1,500 staff are unable to report for work after catching the virus, while the number of passengers taking the trains during peak hours on weekdays dropped by more than half in the second half of February this year, compared to December 2021.

Sun Ferry, which sails between North Point and Hung Hom or Kowloon City, has announced it will suspend both routes from Thursday until notice. The company said that more than 360 employees need to be tested and quarantined.

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Meanwhile, Star Ferry has already started reducing or adjusting services. Starting Feb 28, the Wanchai to Tsim Sha Tsui service will be suspended at 8:50pm (depart at TST) and 9pm (depart at Wanchai).

The Central to TST service, on the other hand, has delayed its starting time to 7am, and its end time at 9pm until further notice.

The updated schedule is below:

Monday to Saturday:

From TST: 7:20am to 8:50pm

From Wanchai: 7:30am to 9:00pm

(Frequency is 20-22 minutes)

Sundays and Public Holidays:

From TST: 7:30am to 8:50pm

From Wanchai: 7:40am to 9:00pm

(Frequency is 20-22 minutes)

Monday to Sunday and Public Holidays:

From TST: 7am to 9:00pm

From Central: 7am to 9pm

Frequency: 10-12 minutes

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Warmer weather seen in HK until weekend

Satellite imagery of the weather in Hong Kong and nearby areas.

Hong Kong is expected to warm up during the rest of this week, basking in the intermittent appearance of the sun until Sunday, before the temperature plunges again, the Hong Kong Observatory has forecast.

But while it will again be colder next week, due to the continued winter air flow from the north, it will be drier due to the clouds over China dissipating after hovering for most of February.

The Observatory forecast sunny intervals during the days until the weekend, although misty in the morning and at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 18 and 23 degrees.

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There will be one or two rain patches next Monday morning, becoming fine during the day. And it will then be dry with cool mornings the rest of next week.

The Observatory’s forecast for the next nine days:

March 3 (Thu): Mainly cloudy with sunny intervals. Coastal mist at first.

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March 4 (Fri): Warm with sunny periods during the day. Some mist in the morning and at night.

March 5 (Fri): Misty. Warm with sunny periods during the day.

March 6 (Sat): Sunny intervals. One or two rain and mist patches in the morning.

March 7 (Sun): One or two rain patches in the morning. Becoming fine and dry during the day.

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March 8 (Mon): Sunny periods. Dry during the day.

March 9 (Tue): Sunny periods.

March 10 (Wed): Sunny periods.

March 11 (Thu): Sunny intervals.

The Observatory’s forecast of warmer weather comes in the wake of an unusually wet February.

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In a press release, the Observatory said a stronger than normal winter monsoon affecting southern China in February made the weather of Hong Kong much colder than usual. The monthly mean temperature was 15.2 degrees, 1.9 degrees below the normal figure of 17.1 degrees.

“Mainly owing to the continuous rain episode from February 19 to 22, the month was also much wetter than usual with a total rainfall of 168.5 millimetres, more than four times of the normal of 38.9mm and the sixth highest on record for February,” it said.

Source: HK Observatory

The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first two months of the year was 172.6mm, more than two times the normal figure of 71.9mm for the same period, it added.

“The prolonged cold and rainy weather also brought the temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) down to 7.5 degrees on the morning of February 21, the lowest of the month,” it said.

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HK posts record-high 55,353 cases Wednesday, 160 new deaths

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Many of the new cases were found during multiple daily lockdowns across the city (File) 

Hong Kong’s Covid-19 infection rate surged to a new record-high 55,353 cases, nearly double yesterday’s tally of more than 32,000.

Today’s figure took Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 infections from the fifth wave of the pandemic to 281,099.

Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said the real figure may be much higher, given that those who test positive on rapid antigen tests (RAT) have yet to be included in the daily count.

Once a platform for reporting positive RAT results has been set up, Au said the government would have a better idea of how serious the situation is.

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“We expect that everyday there will be a hike in the numbers, but that only represents reality because previously many people could not get tested because of the backlog,” Au said.

Despite this attempt, however, the true picture of how extensive the infection has been in the fifth wave of the epidemic may not be fully known because Au said old infections will no longer be added to the daily tally.

“But we will explain how they can be added to the statistics,” he said.

A RAT test that shows one horizontal line means the person is negative for Covid-19

To defuse the demand on the public health care system, the government said last week that it would recognize all positive RAT results as confirmed cases, so patients need no longer undergo a PCR test in a community testing center for confirmation.

Unless they have serious symptoms, patients have also been told to isolate at home. If they are fully vaccinated, they should test themselves using RAT on the 6^th and 7^th days of their isolation. If both results are negative, they can end their isolation without having to inform the CHP.

However, if they still test positive they should remain in isolation until they get two consecutive negative results.

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Dr Au said that of today’s confirmed cases, 27 were imported, and 23 of these were passengers of a CX796 flight from Indonesia, which has been banned for two weeks as a result.

He said the CHP is still investigating the cases, but the flight from Jakarta was likely to have flown in mostly Indonesian foreign domestic helpers.

The newly reported deaths also rose to a new daily record of 117 cases, up by one from yesterday’s readjusted figure of 116. Most were elderly and had chronic diseases.

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Hospital Authority’s Dr Larry Lee said 43 other deaths which occurred in the past few days have also just been added as they were not recorded previously.

They took the city’s death toll from the fifth wave to 967.

Among about 6,400 patients still undergoing treatment in public hospitals, the overwhelming majority of those who are critically or seriously ill are unvaccinated.

Of the 64 who are in critical condition, 55 are unvaccinated; while of the 88 who are seriously ill, 64 have not received any coronavirus vaccine.

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Yesterday’s fatalities were comprised of 73 males and 44 females aged 58 to 100 years old.

Seventy-eight of them came from residential care homes, and 95 did not receive any vaccine dose while six had two doses and 16 had one jab each.

The 43 deaths that occurred between Feb 26 and 28 involved 31 males and 12 females aged 59 to 99 years old.

Only four of the recent deaths were aged 65 and below. Three died shortly after admission to hospital - two had kidney problems while one had cancer.

The fourth had mental illness and had been in Kowloon Hospital for some time. She was moved to Queen Elizabeth Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, and succumbed a few hours afterwards.

Dr Lee also reported that 4,322 HA staff have tested positive for Covid-19, and only around 600 have returned to work since.

Dr Au also reported new infections in 55 residential care homes, involving 488 residents and 228 staff.

So far, 670 care homes catering to the elderly or disabled have reported positive cases in the fifth wave.

He said children and the elderly still get priority in admission to hospitals. But they cannot be housed in isolation facilities as these do not have support for those requiring medical attention.

Those who are given priority for entering an isolation facility are those newly infected as they carry a heavy viral load, meaning they are highly contagious.

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No need to panic as details of mass testing still under study, says govt

By The SUN

 

Panicked residents emptied supermarket shelves for a second straight day

The government has urged the public not to “engage in irrational behavior” after people went into panic buying mode and wiped out food supplies from many supermarket shelves amid reports of a lockdown during the territory-wide Covid-19 testing.

The statement was issued as people lined up at supermarkets for a second straight day, fearing a hard lockdown that could last for a few days, leaving them without food and other supplies.

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The dark mood was reinforced by supermarkets and banks closing down some branches, saying they wanted to protect their staff against the virus.

The government said it was totally understandable for people to feel anxious and worried because of the severity of the fifth wave of the epidemic and the continuous rise in both the confirmed cases and deaths.

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“This is nonetheless the moment when they should stay vigilant and heed the information disseminated by the government, so as to avoid being misled by rumors spread by individuals with ulterior motives and succumbing to unnecessary fear and irrational behavior,” said the statement.

It added that because of the sheer scale of the scheme, officials needed to work out a plan carefully. But once the details are finalized, they will be widely publicized to avoid any misunderstanding or chaos.

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Authorities will also carefully study its impact on the local economy and people’s lives, saying whatever arrangement is made will take into account the need to safeguard Hong Kong’s position as a global financial hub.

At the same time, it noted that in mass testing schemes in other parts of the world the basic needs of citizens such as food, necessities and the seeking of medical attention outside home should be addressed. Thus, there is no need for people to panic or hoard supplies.

To ensure that there is a steady supply of goods, the government said major supermarkets have been contacted, while working closely with Guangdong and Shenzhen officials to broaden the means to bring in fresh food, vegetables and other goods from across the border.

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Meanwhile, various media reports said a nine-day lockdown may be imposed in the middle of the month, with one stating that it will take place no earlier than Mar 17. 

But they all said the stock market will be not be closed.

Authorities are said to be wrestling with the idea of how to test 7.4 million people three times in a short period of time, and ensure its efficacy by not allowing them to gather while it is being carried out.

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But reports say what is being contemplated is not a "full lockdown" as in the Mainland when people are not allowed to leave their homes at all. It will be more like a Western-style lockdown where people can go out to buy food and other necessities or attend medical consultations.

32,597 new Covid-19 cases and 172 deaths reported

by Daisy CL Mandap

 

Experts say Hong Kong's daily Covid-19 tally should be well over 100,000 by now

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases dropped slightly to 32,597 today, Mar 1, from Monday’s record tally of 34,466, but officials say the actual figure may be higher as many people may no longer be reporting their positive results from rapid antigen tests (RATs).

Speaking at today’s press briefing on the Covid situation, Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection said “the number cannot fully reflect reality” after the government said that RAT positive results are now recognized as confirmed.

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This appears to be supported by a Hong Kong University study that says the daily infection will peak at around 182,000 by next week but only about 35,000 cases will be reported each day to authorities.

The study also says that around 1.7 million people in Hong Kong may have already been infected in the fifth wave of the pandemic but many people are not reporting their positive test results from RATs or are asymptomatic.

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“Even if the level remains the same or rises fast, then we will have an accumulated number of more than 200,000 per week so we will continue monitoring the situation,” said Au.

He also said that some people infected with Covid have mild or no symptoms, so they might not think to get tested at all.

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Yesterday, Au said 120,000 people reported testing positive on their website, but only 56,000 could be confirmed as many appeared to have taken a RAT.

Au repeated that an online platform where positive results from RATs may be uploaded, along with the patient's personal and household information, will be put up soon.

Au says many who tested positive in RATs may not have reported their infection

Meanwhile, there has been a surge in the number of Covid-related deaths in public hospitals.

Dr Larry Lee from the Hospital Authority reported a total of 172 patients who passed on, 117 of them in the past 24 hours and the 55 others, between Feb 23 and Feb 27.

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They took Hong Kong’s total death toll from the coronavirus to 808.

Of the latest cases, Dr Lee said 63 came from residential care homes. Eighty-six did not have any vaccination while 15 had two doses each of a vaccine and 16 others had a jab each.

One of the notable cases involved a 58 year-old-man who had no underlying illnesses but was unvaccinated. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with pneumonia on Feb 27, 10 days after the onset of symptoms. He died the next day.

Five other fatalities who were aged below 60 years old had underlying illnesses, including cancer, heart condition, diabetes and renal disease.

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A total of 6,124 patients remain in public hospitals and various treatment centres. Of these, 57 are in critical condition while 88 are seriously ill.

A further 570 patients with mild symptoms are at Penny’s Bay isolation facility.

Lee said that all beds at the North Lantau Hospital will soon be allotted to Covid-19 patients. All non-Covid patients will be transferred to the infection control unit at Princess Margaret Hospital and other public hospitals.

As for the backlog in moving dead bodies from hospitals he said the situation has been eased by securing 1,350 additional places in morgues.

Some of the places were borrowed from a funeral home and a residential care home, while work is being speeded up at the Fu Sha Mortuary in Sha Tin, where 800 additional places will be made available in early April.

The CHP also said that while cases have been reported from all districts across the city, Yuen Long, Sha Tin, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong and YauTsimMong topped the list of places where  higher infection numbers were recorded.