#16,976
Eighteen days ago - after falling to less than 300 cases a day in June - Hong Kong reported more than 5,000 Daily COVID cases for the first time since last spring. Just over a week ago, that number has risen to more than 7,500 Daily COVID Cases, with authorities warning that additional increases - to 10,000 daily cases or more - seemed likely.
Although it still pales in comparison to the numbers that Hong Kong was reporting in March of this year, today HK reported 10,342 new COVID cases.
Unlike the rest of the world, both Mainland China and Hong Kong continue to pursue a `Zero-COVID' policy, although with each new, highly transmissible varian, that task become more difficult.
This (translated) report from HK's CHP.
New positive cases break 10,000, baby girl in critical condition
September 1, 2022
There were 10,342 new positive local cases of novel coronavirus in Hong Kong, and a 15-month-old baby girl was infected and is in critical condition. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health said the government plans to lower the applicable age of the "vaccine passport" to five years old, and is expected to announce details next week.
Among the local cases, 3,091 were positive for nucleic acid test, 7,251 were positive for rapid antigen test, and 244 were imported. Eleven more patients have died, seven of whom have not completed three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Six new residential care homes for the elderly and one residential care home for the disabled have new infections involving ten residents and one staff member, and close contacts are subject to quarantine.
A total of 139 positive cases were reported in 84 schools. The patients included 113 students and 26 staff. Individual classes in five schools were required to suspend face-to-face classes for one week. In response to the Education Bureau's request for teachers and students to conduct their own rapid tests before school starts, more than 550 people have not attended school due to positive results in the past three days.
Hospital Authority Chief Administrative Manager (Quality and Standards) Lau Ka Hsien reported at a briefing today that a 15-month-old baby girl had a fever since Tuesday, and her rapid test result for COVID-19 was positive. She was taken to the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital.
The baby girl is currently hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in critical condition, but the cramps have stopped, she can breathe on her own, and her vital index is stable. The grandmother and mother, who live with the baby girl, have both tested positive for rapid tests and have received three doses of the vaccine.
Zhang Zhujun, director of the Infectious Diseases Division of the Centre for Health Protection, said that schools have already reopened, and the number of children infected with the virus reported by the Hospital Authority has increased. Recently, there have even been severe cases of children. The public should arrange for children to be vaccinated as soon as possible. The government plans to lower the applicable age of the "Vaccine Pass" to five years old, and requires relevant persons to receive two doses of the vaccine. It is expected to provide a transition period of about two months, allowing parents sufficient time to arrange for their children to be vaccinated.
The Government today announced the extension of the Special Programme on Outreach Vaccination Services in Residential Homes to the end of this month to further increase the vaccination rate of residents of RCHEs and RCHEs. The medical team visits its paired homes at least once a week to provide outreach vaccination services to residents.
In addition, the HA will adjust the conditions for the release of quarantine orders for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 from now on. Inpatients who have not completed two doses of the vaccine in the past must be isolated for at least 14 days and the clinical conditions are suitable before the isolation order can be lifted. Under the new arrangement, if the Ct value of these patients exceeds 30 in the nucleic acid test on or after the seventh day of diagnosis, it means that they are not infectious. If the clinical conditions are suitable, they can be discharged from the hospital or transferred to the general ward to continue receiving other treatments. .
On the other hand, according to the needs of epidemic prevention, the government has designated Shatin Fung Wo Estate and On House as a restricted area, and relevant persons must undergo compulsory testing within a specified time.
In view of the high virus levels in sewage samples from various residential areas in Central and Western District, Wong Tai Sin and Yuen Long , the Housing Department and the local District Offices will distribute rapid antigen test kits to the relevant residents, cleaners and property management staff.
The Government has set up a dedicated webpage to provide relevant information and health advice on COVID-19.
