Quarantine scheme thoroughly thought over, stresses Chan

Shortening the quarantine period for vaccinated people and returnees from overseas was thoroughly considered before the policy change, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee says.

Chan also warned that those who do not go to quarantine after their residential blocks have seen mutant strain infections could face legal consequences following the refusal of some residents at Royalton, Pok Fu Lam, to leave their luxury flats.

Hong Kong yesterday reported one imported case from Argentina, the second consecutive day without local infections. That brought Hong Kong's tally to 11,808, including 210 deaths.

Speaking on television, Chan said authorities have previously taken the most stringent measure against mutant cases.

But after "gathering the findings of epidemiological investigations," adjustments were made on Friday. From then residents living in the same building would go through tests on the third, seventh, 12th and 19th days, instead of sending the entire block to quarantine.

Chan said the arrangements could be tightened again if outbreaks take a turn for the worse. There is sufficient room at isolation camps, she added, and authorities would continue to improve manpower and meal arrangements.

Residents from Block R of Tsuen Wan's Allway Gardens and Block N2 of Quarry Bay's Kornhill - sent to Penny's Bay camp last week - were allowed to go home yesterday after the policy pushback.

The government also said on Friday that fully vaccinated close contacts - those who have had their second vaccine jab for at least two weeks - can have their stay at isolation camps shortened by seven days as long as they test negative for the virus and positive for antibodies.

Similar quarantine adjustments were made for travelers from certain countries, with effect from this Wednesday.

Those coming from low-risk countries like Australia, New Zealand and Singapore will quarantine at designated hotels for seven days instead of 14, followed by seven days of self-monitoring and a test on the 12th day of arrival.

The period for inoculated travelers from medium and high-risk places at designated hotels will be reduced from 21 to 14 days. This will be followed by seven days of self-monitoring and two tests - on the 16th and 19th days of arrival.

Arrangements for those coming from very high-risk places will remain unchanged, while flights from extremely high-risk places will still be banned.

Authorities, meanwhile, have prosecuted Hong Kong's first two people who allegedly brought the highly contagious South African mutant strain to the community for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease (Disclosure of Information) Regulation.

The Indian engineer, 29, who flew to Hong Kong from Dubai, and his 31-year-old Filipino female friend will appear in Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today.

The man allegedly gave false or misleading information while the woman allegedly failed to disclose details of her whereabouts. They face up to six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine if convicted.

The Health Department took almost three weeks to find out they had a gathering at the Chai Wan home of the woman's mother. Attendees of that gathering subsequently passed the infection to three domestic helpers on another occasion.

So far, the pair has directly and indirectly passed the infection to six people.

Separately, some 88 percent of 718 adults surveyed do not find the "vaccine bubble" attractive enough for them to be vaccinated.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com