HK confirms 986 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Long queues in Discovery Bay, where all residents have been told to get tested for Covid-19 (FB photo)

Health officials have confirmed 986 new Covid-19 cases today, Feb 10, only one of which was imported, and the rest, locally acquired.

One death was reported, the third in two days. The fatality is a 94-year-old woman who was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital with breathing difficulty on Feb. 7 and when tested, was found infected with Covid-19. She succumbed at 1:33pm today. She was unvaccinated.

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According to Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority, more than 1,000 confirmed cases are now receiving treatment at various treatment centres and 14 public hospitals.

Three patients are in critical condition, six in serious condition, the biggest number of severe cases to be recorded in the fifth wave of the infection so far. The rest of the patients are stable.

The three critically ill patients are all males, aged 48, 80 and 97 years old. The youngest patient who is in Tseung Kwan O Hospital, is unvaccinated.

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The two others tested positive after being admitted to hospital and have no case numbers yet. The first received two doses of a vaccine while the second is unvaccinated.

The six patients who are seriously ill are aged between 50 and 91 years old.

The elderly and unvaccinated are said to be at high risk for serious complications from Covid

According to Dr Lee, the nine patients are either unvaccinated, had only one dose of a vaccine, or had their second dose a few months ago, and should have had a booster shot.

He reminded people, especially the elderly, to get themselves jabbed for their own protection.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said that of the 959 local cases confirmed today, 26 carried the Delta strain while 888 were likely Omicron cases.

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She also said that as of 4pm today, more than 800 preliminary positive cases were detected, indicating that the daily surge in cases is bound to continue.

From Dec 31 until yesterday, she said 5,200 Omicron cases have been detected, and the patients ranged in age from a few months old to 104 years old.

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Dr Chuang also reported more cases have been discovered in Discovery Bay Plaza, where residents have all been put under compulsory testing notice.

The new cases involved shopkeepers cleaners, reception and concierge staff. The mall has been asked to close for disinfection.

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Another case she mentioned were those that were found in elderly care homes. She said that so far, the fifth wave has hit at least 20 of such care homes.

Dr Chui Tak-yi, Undersecretary for Food and Health, has said that yesterday’s tally of 1,161 new cases was the highest recorded in the last two years of pandemic, which was why the most severe social distancing measures have been put in place.

Asked if the government was aware that people who were issued compulsory testing notices had to wait between three to four hours at community testing centres, Dr Chui answered in the affirmative, and offered an apology for those affected.

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He said “enhanced measures” have been put in place starting today to ease the situation.

These include setting up a dispenser for quota chits in Tsuen Wan so people only needed to get a queuing number and not stand in line, deploying 200 civil servants to help in crowd control and arranging for “caring crews” that will look after pregnant women, the frail and the elderly.

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