Hong Kong reports 32,597 daily cases on Tue

Hong Kong reports 32,597 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, with cumulative confirmed infections reaching 225,000 since the fifth wave broke out. 

Another 117 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours – including 68 men and 49 women aged between 47 and 99 years old. Eighty six of them were not vaccinated, while 106 were elderly people. 

A 58-year-old man with no chronic illness was sent to accident and emergency department with pneumonia and pulmonary edema on February 27. He died a day later, according to Chief Manager of the Hospital Authority Larry Lee Lap-yip. 

Same as Tin Shui Wai Hospital, North Lantau Hospital will be transformed into a Covid-19 only hospital. 

The Principal Medical and Health Officer of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Albert Au Ka-wing, said Yuen Long has been the worst hit district so far. Some 12.7 percent of Covid-19 cases were from the area. 

It was followed by Sha Tin with 11 percent of overall cases, as well as Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Mong with 8.6 percent and 7.8 percent cases respectively. 

Au said the government has reached out to private institutions to borrow places for putting dead bodies, after three public mortuaries with 1,350 spaces are almost running at full capacities. So far 85 places have been secured.

A new Fu Shan Public Mortuary will open in April, providing 800 places.