More Isolation Facilities Could Be Opened: Officials

Officials on Tuesday said the government is prepared to open more isolation facilities as the number of Covid cases continues to rise in the community.

Some 5,200 people were being isolated at Penny's Bay on Monday, meaning the facility was operating at about 60 percent of its capacity, the government said.

"The government is very concerned and is closely monitoring the pandemic situation. We are also reviewing our community isolation facilities," said Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk after visiting Penny's Bay.

"There are other facilities that are in standby mode. We are making sure those facilities are well prepared and ready for use. At the moment, we have around 3,000 rooms in another community facility that are ready for use."

Chief Staff Officer of the Civil Aid Service Leung Kwun-hong said they are constantly evaluating whether they need to recruit more people to run isolation facilities.

"We are doing a continuous assessment on all our requirements and services. So when we need additional manpower, we will be recruiting more and more staff to join and help us to serve our VIPs," he said.