Risk of community virus outbreak remains, Carrie Lam says

Although the number of coronavirus infections has dropped from over a hundred to double digits in the past two weeks, there is still a risk of community outbreaks, the Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yeut-ngor said today.

There is no stable downward trend, she said, adding that infections in the local community are the main cause.

The source of nearly 40 percent of local virus patients remains unknown.

She also noted the virus clusters at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal and the foreign domestic helper lodgings. The dorms involes about 6,000 foreign domestic helpers.

This group is being tested, but only about 900 have returned biologocal samples for coronavirus testing.

She said that anti-epidemic measures have affected many industries, especially tourism, catering and retail.

The sharp economic contraction is not unique to Hong Kong, she said. The same situation is also happening in various parts of Asia.