By The SUN
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| Care home staff may be asked to do more PCR tests to halt the rise in infections (File) |
Health officials reported a total of 4,375 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, marking the first time it topped the 4,000-mark since Apr 2, when the unprecedented surge in the fifth wave of the pandemic began easing up.
Three related deaths were also reported, involving one man and two women aged 93 to 99, who all suffered from hypertension. The death tally in the fifth wave now stands at 9,235.
The Centre for Health Protection said the daily infection tally has been on the upward trend in the past few weeks.
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"There are no signs of a decrease in numbers. Maybe we have not yet seen the peak," said CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan at today’s press briefing.
Chuang said the government is considering asking care home staff to undergo more frequent PCR testing on top of their daily antigen tests, to help prevent outbreaks.
Hospital staff who look after vulnerable patients have already been told to conform to this additional requirement.
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Among the new cases, 4,076 were locally transmitted, including 1,496 confirmed via PCR tests and 2,580 verified positive RAT results.
The other 299 infections were imported cases - 140 were detected at the airport, 113 at quarantine hotels, and 46 post-quarantine.
Chuang said that as of Tuesday, the city has recorded 1,149 suspected cases of BA.2.12.1 and 403 suspected cases of BA.4 or BA.5.
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She said a high vaccination rate and infections will build mixed immunity, citing the World Health Organization.
Several public health experts are now calling on the government to gradually lift social-distancing measures to develop this so-called hybrid immunity, which is attained when a person is infected with the virus before or after receiving a vaccine dose.
Meanwhile, the infection tally from schools rose to 414 today, involving 313 students and 84 staff in 355 schools.
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Two schools were told to each suspend a class for a week after a number of students and teachers tested positive.
Chuang said authorities have stepped up mandatory testing, mostly at residential buildings, as they were found to have worse situations.
A total of 1,233 patients are now looked after at public hospitals, including 18 who are in critical condition and 25 who are seriously ill. Five of the critically ill patients are in intensive care units.
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