300,000 Covid Patients And Contacts Isolating: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Sunday that the government believes there could be some 300,000 coronavirus patients and their family contacts currently undergoing isolation or quarantine at home.

She admitted at a daily Covid briefing that authorities are still lagging behind in providing support to some of these families.

But she said officials have been stepping up the delivery of anti-epidemic kits to those affected, adding that more hotlines have also been set up to address people's concerns.

"The figure [of 300,000 people under isolation or quarantine] might be overestimated because it's based on the assumption that the patients and close contacts must stay home for 14 days. However, we've already relaxed the rules under which they could leave their homes if they test negative on days six and seven," Lam said.

"With so many people put under isolation or quarantine, the government has been strengthening our capability to support them. However, we're still catching up."

Health Secretary Sophia Chan said starting Monday, care packages sent to Covid patients will also include paracetamol for them to relieve pain and fever, and pulse oximetres for measuring their heart rate and oxygen levels.

Separately, the Chief Executive said the coronavirus outbreaks in various provinces across the border have not had an impact on Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work.

"I have every confidence that the central government which has so successfully combated the Covid-19 epidemic for the last two years will be able to rise to the challenge and suppress this wave," Lam said.

"At the moment, it has no impact whatsoever on Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work. It also has no impact on the supply of materials and assistance to Hong Kong."

She noted that a senior official from the National Health Commission, Liang Wannian, who was in the city over the past two weeks to advise the SAR government on its Covid strategy, has returned to the mainland in view of the coronavirus situation there.