Hong Kong adds 55,353 Covid cases on Wednesday

Hong Kong reported a record 55,353 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the city's infection tally to more than 290,000 since the fifth wave of the pandemic. 

Health authorities reported 32,597 cases on Tuesday, the second time the city saw the daily caseload exceed 30,000. 

Department of Health's principal medical and health officer for epidemiology Albert Au Ka-wing said the number was within expectations, as infections have been multiplying every two to three days. 

It has become more common for citizens to test positive using rapid test kits, and it will increase the case tally along with information collected by the Centre for Health Protection, Au added. 

He continued that there will definitely be restrictions limiting public activities when the government carries out a mass testing later this month. Yet, the government is still mulling relevant details and they will come up with fitting measures after consulting different sectors. 

Among the new cases, 27 were imported – including 23 arriving from Jakarta, Indonesia on flight CX796 on Tuesday. Most of them were foreign domestic helpers and the flight operated by Cathay Pacific will be grounded for two weeks from Thursday to March 16. 

Hospital Authority's chief manager for integrated clinical services Larry Lee Lap-yip reported 117 deaths in the past 24 hours, aged between 58 and 100. Only seven deaths were not elderly people. 

Among them, 78 were from elderly homes and 95 of them were not vaccinated. Six had received two Covid shots and 16 had one jab. 

Cases involving 488 residents and 288 workers were detected at 40 elderly homes and 15 care centers for the disabled yesterday. The coronavirus has stormed 670 care centers throughout the city. 

Due to lagged results, authorities further added 43 deaths involving 31 men and 12 women aged 58 to 99 between Saturday and Monday. Hong Kong's Covid death tally now stands at 1,172. 

Lee also reported 4,322 medics and workers of the authority have been infected with Covid-19, and some 600 among them have recovered and resumed work. Some 6,400 patients are now staying in hospitals and the authority's treatment facilities, while there are 760 residents at Penny's Bay isolation center. 

On another note, Lee said the government is now building more isolation facilities. He stressed that young kids may be admitted to hospitals without their parents, but they will stay with their family members if they are sent to isolation facilities.