HK Coronavirus Surge Continues With 133 More Cases

Hong Kong reported a record number of new Covid-19 cases for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday as it confirmed 133 new infections by Friday midnight.

The Centre for Health Protection says seven of the patients were recent arrivals from India and the Philippines.

So far, 71 of the patients are confirmed to be linked to previous cases, including around 50 who got the virus from family members or people they lived with. The rest contracted it from workplaces or gatherings.

Among them are three firefighters from Tsing Yi South Fire Station, where about two dozen staff will have to be tested.

Cases were also found at a Wan Chai restaurant, the Sai Ying Pun wet market and a care home for the elderly in Tai Po, while others were connected to a party in Tuen Mun which around 200 people attended.

A student living in a local university’s dormitory is also among the new cases.

“We are seeing very high number of cases daily and the trend is still increasing, so we are very worried whether this situation can be controlled actually, And, without the participation of the general public it is very difficult,” said the centre’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan.

“I think in the coming two weeks… we have to observe very closely and see whether the social-distancing measures as adopted by the general public will take effect,” she told a press conference.

Two coronavirus patients died on Saturday, including a 60-year-old man with heart disease, taking the death toll in the city to 18, of which 11 came in the past two weeks.

To handle the drastic surge of cases, the Hospital Authority said 22 general out-patient clinics will also start handing out specimen bottles from Monday.