Woman Died Awaiting Quarantine 'for No Good Reason'

Microbiologist Ho Pak-leung said the case of a woman who died while she was waiting to be sent to a quarantine centre showed the government has been dragging its feet in its handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, and that she died "for no good reason".

Health officials said the 62-year-old woman was found dead in her flat on December 11 – three days after she was ordered to be quarantined. The woman later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, the University of Hong Kong expert said he was "very sad" about the case and that officials need to explain what happened to help rebuild public confidence.

The woman lived in Mei Tao House in Mei Lam Estate in Tai Wai. She was a close contact of a family member who had come down with the disease.

The public housing block has reported three coronavirus cases this month, and Ho said health authorities should tell the public if the cases are related.

The expert also said Hong Kong should look at how Singapore is handling the pandemic, saying the Lion City is doing a much better job than the SAR on multiple fronts.

He cited a survey in Singapore that showed 70 percent of the people there are willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19, while he estimated only a third of Hong Kong people will get the jab.

He said if people are confident with their government, there’s then no need to provide financial incentive for them to get inoculated.