Hong Kong third wave: AsiaWorld-Expo earmarked as next holding facility for stable Covid-19 patients
- Health officials say the move would ease the burden on hospitals amid city’s third wave of infections
- Facilities are being made available for those who are infected but able to look after themselves, as another 64 cases confirmed in city
The announcement involving AsiaWorld-Expo came as an existing quarantine facility could also be converted for the same purpose and be ready to receive people in one to two weeks at the earliest.
Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village in Chai Wan, one of the quarantine centres currently used for close contacts of confirmed cases and people returning from high-risk areas, has been designated as the first community facility to house stable coronavirus patients who did not show symptoms and can care for themselves.
Hospital Authority chief executive Dr Tony Ko Pat-sing said the site could begin operations soon.
“Under the current epidemic situation, we have been seeing around 50 to 60 new cases every day. If this trend continues, it is possible that we would need to activate the use of the facility in one to two weeks,” Ko told a morning radio programme.
Latest information from the Centre for Health Protection showed that as of Saturday morning, there were still 334 people occupying 247 units in the Chai Wan facility, which in total has 379 units.
Ko said he would not rule out the possibility of using part of the site for Covid-19 patients first, before all people who were undergoing quarantine had moved out.
