Kwai Chung Care Home Reports One More Covid Case

For the fourth time in five days Hong Kong did not report any new Covid-19 cases with no known source.

Health authorities on Wednesday reported eight new infections: one local and seven imported ones.

The latest local patient is a 66-year-old resident of Home of Treasure in Kwai Chung, a care home for the disabled people that has now reported 20 cases.

Of the seven imported infections, three involved people arriving from Belgium, with the rest from India, the Philippines, the United States and Ethiopia.

This brought the infection tally in Hong Kong to 5,269.

Infectious disease expert Ho Pak-leung said the city has reported only a single-digit increase in cases on most days this month, suggesting this wave of the outbreak is easing.

But he said with cases that cannot be traced still being reported, authorities must be cautious while relaxing social-distancing rules. He also warned that there may be a resurgence in infections, when the weather becomes cold and dry.

The government on Tuesday relaxed some of its social-distancing measures, allowing up to 30 people in local tours and up to 50 at weddings, but kept many other existing curbs in place.

Officials have also warned of a fourth wave of cases in the winter, which they said could be more severe than previous ones.