Quarantine cut for patients and contacts

Jane Cheung

Covid patients, close contacts and inbound travelers who have been in isolation since Monday can be released today if their rapid tests yesterday and today are negative as Hong Kong shortens its quarantine period to five days from seven.

In a briefing yesterday, the undersecretary for health, Libby Lee Ha-yun, said the five-day isolation from today will apply to every one, regardless of their vaccination status, as long as they get negative rapid test results on their fourth and fifth days of isolation.

Inbound travelers from Taiwan and overseas are still required to take two PCR tests - at the Hong Kong International Airport on arrival and on the second day - in addition to five daily rapid tests.

The announcement came despite Hong Kong reporting 14,373 cases yesterday - a single-day high since July - and 27 deaths.

But Lee said the relaxation is backed by scientific data.

Between September 6 and November 27, Hong Kong had seen 350,000 close contacts, among whom 100,000 - or nearly one in three - were eventually infected.

"More than 90 percent of them tested positive within their first five days of isolation," Lee said.

"Only around 5 percent of infected close contacts are detected on the sixth and seventh days. The risk is relatively low and we believe they won't add much burden to public hospitals."

On patients, the Centre for Health Protection's principal medical and health officer, Albert Au Ka-wing, said about 55 percent of them were released after seven days of isolation and following negative rapid tests two days in a row.

"Some people take longer than seven days to clear the virus in the body," he said. "But some people, especially those with four jabs, can test negative in rapid tests on the fourth and fifth days."

He estimated about 30 percent of those infected can end their isolation after five days.

Asked about the number of people who can benefit from the shortened quarantine, Au believed 70 percent of those under isolation and quarantine can go free earlier.

Previously, patients who are double-vaccinated, close contacts and arrivals were required to observe seven days of quarantine, while the period for those who are not vaccinated, or have received only one jab, is 14 days.

The Hospital Authority's chief manager for integrated clinical services, Larry Lee Lap-yip, said the new measure will also facilitate the discharge of patients.

He said about 3,200 of them are staying in public hospitals, including 2,000 who are still infected.

"Records show one-fifth of our patients have yet to be fully vaccinated, and they have to stay longer in hospitals. But they should be able to benefit from the new policy and be allowed to go home earlier," Lee said.

Social distancing measures, including the mask mandate, will remain until December 28.

Libby Lee said the public health-care system is under huge pressure and authorities "don't want to push it to the edge of collapse" so there is no plan to ditch arrival PCR tests or relax other border measures.

"With the holidays around the corner, we believe there will be an increase of local inbound travelers and, naturally, imported infections too," she said.

On Wednesday, mainland authorities announced 10 policies to relax curbs, including scrapping health-code scans in most places and canceling mass PCR tests.

Asked if Hong Kong will follow suit and ditch the mandate of LeaveHomeSafe and vaccine pass checks when entering a wide range of premises, Lee said: "It's not comprehensive or objective to only compare measures in different places, without looking at the bigger picture, such as the affordability of its medical system and vaccine coverage."

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the cut in isolation period is in line with the mainland's latest moves.

He said his administration will continue to discuss the long-awaited border reopening with mainland counterparts.

Separately, former chief executive Leung Chun-ying tested positive at the airport on Wednesday night after a six-day work trip to Singapore and Cambodia.

He is observing home isolation without any discomfort, he told an event in a video speech yesterday.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com