Major COVID-19 isolation site reopens in Hong Kong as cases reach four-month high
The COVID-19 set up at the Asia World Expo (AWE) in Hong Kong. (Bloomberg)
As COVID-19case numbers reached their highest level in more than four months, straining the medical system and raising doubts about the city's ability to further relax viral rules, Hong Kong will reopen one of its largest COVID-19 isolation facilities.
As reported by Bloomberg, Lau Ka-hin, chief manager of quality and standards at the Hospital Authority, announced at a conference on Friday that officials will have an additional 200 beds at Asia World Expo starting next week, with 100 healthcare professionals to staff the facility. It is a component of a new Covid management phase intended to relieve pressure on the healthcare system. He added that non-emergency hospital services would be further curtailed in order to free up beds and staff.
Hong Kong reported 6,445 new cases, which is a record high since March's end when the city was coming out of a wave of illnesses that, at one point, was the deadliest in history. In hospitals, there are 1,898 Covid patients, including 25 serious cases, 36 patients in critical condition, and 10 patients in intensive care.
“We are very concerned,” said Lau. “We’ve come to a very key moment and we are worried that the situation may deteriorate further.”
More transmissible omicron subvariants are contributing to the rise in daily infections, which coincides with this month's relaxation of the quarantine requirements for inbound passengers. However, imported cases only account for a small portion of the total number of illnesses. However, it raises the question of whether the restrictions will be further loosened as Hong Kong works to restore its status as a major financial centre.
There was also hope that the city's plans to host a high-profile, government-sponsored financial summit and a rugby tournament in November would present a chance for the city to open up.
Given that efforts to restore Hong Kong's border with mainland China were derailed by the city's escalating infections last year, the rising number of cases is expected to be a barrier. The Hong Kong Economic Times last week stated that the Hong Kong government is investigating the possibility of providing quarantine services to local passengers wanting to enter China.
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