Coronavirus Hong Kong: ‘500 locations planned’ for universal testing, but ‘maximum consensus’ on lockdown elusive; city confirms 56,827 cases
- Sources say timing and details of a possible lockdown yet to be fixed
- Group bookings for mass screening expected to be available for families, with appointments to be made online to avoid crowds and queues
Hong Kong will open up to 500 Covid-19 testing centres for its universal testing drive and families will be able to book slots together, even as the timing and details of a lockdown to enable such an exercise have yet to be fixed, the Post has learned.
Sources indicated discussions were still ongoing on how to impose a lockdown and the most appropriate time for it – whether to do so soon or after the fifth wave of infections had peaked – with a visiting mainland expert hinting a consensus had yet to be reached among officials.
The deliberations continued on Thursday as officials confirmed a record 56,827 Covid-19 infections, surpassing the 55,353 logged the day before and pushing the overall tally to 350,557. Just two of the new cases were imported.
The Hospital Authority said 144 Covid-19 patients, aged between 42 and 102, had died in the last 24 hours. Most of the dead were elderly and 56 people had lived in care homes, while 124 did not have vaccination records. The death toll stood at 1,366, including 42 fatalities that were earlier unreported.
Health officials also clarified that the deaths of two patients who were reported to have succumbed before being admitted to hospital were already counted under the Hospital Authority’s tally.
As of Wednesday night, 78 patients were in critical condition – 52 were unvaccinated – while 116 were in serious condition, 64 of whom were not inoculated.
Visiting mainland expert Liang Wannian, leader of the National Health Commission’s Covid Response Expert Team, said the priority for Hong Kong was to reduce infections, serious cases and deaths, as well as to boost vaccination among the elderly.