Expert Concerned About Covid Situation After Holidays

A government expert advisor expressed concern on Saturday that the SAR's current coronavirus surge will worsen after the Lunar New Year holidays.

Speaking on a radio show, Wallace Lau said the trend is worrying, saying this infection wave is likely to last for a long time.

“I don't think it will be over within the next one to two months, especially with the recent discovery of quite a lot of unknown origin cases,” he said.

He urged people to avoid visiting relatives and friends during the Lunar New Year, adding that if people have to gather, they should maintain personal hygiene, wear masks, and avoid chatting during meals.

The expert, who advises the government on Covid vaccination, also said it is too early for Hong Kong to think about living with the coronavirus, saying the city has to reach a high enough vaccination rate.

He hopes at least 90 percent of every age group in the city can have at least one dose of Covid vaccine.

Meanwhile, Professor Lau also backed a move by officials to keep unvaccinated people out of more venues in future, saying he hopes the vaccine pass plan will offer incentives for more elderly to get vaccinated.

The government earlier said a vaccine mandate due to take effect next month would be extended to more indoor spaces.

Officials are also said to be considering imposing the policy on public transport, but Professor Lau admitted that it would be hard to implement.

“I would call upon, perhaps, the employers and the bosses to allow the employees to go to work in stages, and to also consider work from home as much as possible, to reduce the chance of people having to take the public transport,” he said.

Speaking on the same radio show, another government advisor, Professor Lau Yu-lung also stressed the need for people to get inoculated against Covid.

He said as many as 20,000 elderly people in Hong Kong could die from Covid, if vaccination rate remains low in elderly care homes.