Quarantine hotels to be made isolation facilities for Covid patients: sources

Quarantine hotels may be transformed into community isolation facilities, providing up to 10,000 rooms within a very short period of time, sources said.

It was understood health authorities are mulling to transform 44 quarantine hotels into isolation facilities.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she is going to meet the hotel sector tomorrow to discuss the plan. 

Timothy Chui Ting-pong, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, believed the relevant quarantine hotels are capable of dealing with the change.

However, he stressed that the management at these hotels must take stringent measures to maintain the highest standards of health and hygiene, ensuring proper ventilation.

He added that hotel staff must also undergo basic training to handle daily duties working in such isolation facilities.

The city is now searching for more quarantine facilities, as existing ones were being filled to capacity with daily cases soaring to record high each day.  

During a weekly press briefing, Lam told reporters that the government is considering requisitioning blocks 1 and 7 of Queen's Hill Estate as well as Heng King House of Lai King Estate for quarantine use.  

The three residential blocks will provide up to 3,000 units, said Lam.  

The Chief Executive said university hostels are also being considered as one of the options over the makeshift facilities.