Hong Kong fourth wave: fears of coronavirus rebound as 55 new infections logged, more than 80 pending confirmation
- Health official says the spike in daily caseloads is a ‘concern’, but explains it may be down to strengthened testing in virus-hit district
- Top government adviser calls for Covid-19 vaccination campaign to begin next month as planned, despite reports of mounting death toll in Norway
A feared coronavirus rebound could be under way in Hong Kong, as health officials on Sunday confirmed 55 new infections with more than 80 pending confirmation, sparking a warning from an infectious disease expert that a “perfect storm” was brewing in old neighbourhoods.
The resurgence came as a top government adviser called for the city’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign in care homes to begin next month as planned, despite reports of a mounting death toll in Norway among older recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said the spike in daily caseloads was a “concern”, but explained it could be down to a strengthened testing drive in virus-hit Yau Tsim Mong district.
“It is possible that due to compulsory testing more residents know about this test and come forward for testing, and hopefully we can investigate them and break the spread,” she said. “But of course the sheer number of cases … is a concern, because any one of them may cause a major outbreak in the community.”
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Authorities earlier announced that any infection recorded in a building in the crowded area bordering Nathan Road, Jordan Road, Canton Road, Ferry Street and Kansu Street would trigger mandatory testing for residents and recent visitors of the entire block under an enhanced screening exercise.
