Hong Kong
Even as Hong Kong struggles to contain the latest surge in Covid cases, a charity based in the city has claimed that around 2,000 infected children under the age of 10 have been separated from their parents over the past six weeks after being admitted to hospital.
Even though no official numbers are available, the Hospital Authority has urged authorities to provide clear guidance to affected families to help alleviate their stress and grief.
The report comes after lawmakers, medical personnel and a mental health organisation urged the government not to separate infected children from their parents during isolation and treatment of the Coronavirus, reports the South China Morning Post.
Dr Lucy Lord, executive chair of mental health charity Mind Hong Kong, told the newspaper that around 1,000 to 2,000 infected children had been separated from their parents over the past five to six weeks, with more than 90 per cent involving local families.
She claimed that about 30 per cent of expatriate patients have left Hong Kong over fears of being separated from their children.
According to the Hong Kong-based newspaper, many expats have already left Hong Kong, and some parents are becoming hesitant to report their childrenâs infection for fear of separation.
Also read | 'Stealth Omicron': BA.2 is now globally dominant Covid variant
The Post spoke to one of the parents from UK who had been staying in Hong Kong. The 32-year-old mother said that she was separated from her 11-month-old daughter who was admitted at a hospital after contracting COVID-19 and was kept there for at least seven days.
Legislator Stephen Wong Yuen-shan has urged the government to reveal how many children infected with COVID-19 had been separated from their parents and to provide psychological support to affected households.
Also Read | Different variants may cause different long COVID-19 symptoms, says study
The lawmaker called on health authorities to evaluate childrenâs mental state before admitting them, adding that hospitals and community isolation facilities should prioritise the admission of parents or carers of infected children to the same sites.
Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus
(With inputs from agencies)