TOUGHER RULES MAY RETURN: MINISTER
Sophia Chan warns that the threat posed by the more infectious mutated strains must be taken seriously as another case arrives from overseas
Hong Kong’s health minister has warned the community spread of mutated coronavirus strains with untraceable sources of transmission could trigger a reversion to tougher control measures, and those who refused to comply with quarantine orders would be prosecuted under the law.
Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the threat posed by the emergence of more infectious variants must be taken seriously, as the city confirmed another case of a mutant strain brought from overseas.
While Hong Kong had no new local cases of Covid-19 to report for a second straight day, the variant infection was detected in a 52year-old woman who flew in from Argentina, taking the city’s overall total to 11,807 cases, with 210 related deaths.
The city has recorded 262 cases of variant infections so far, most of them imported. The first two variant cases found locally in Hong Kong were confirmed last month, and their possible transmission links with domestic helpers and others have raised fears of a wider community spread.
“We will keep a close eye on the situation,” Chan said on a television programme yesterday. “If there is an unknown source for new variant cases, we won’t rule out adjusting the current Covid19 control measures.”
Referring to a recent dispute when some residents of the Royalton I private housing estate in Pok Fu Lam refused to go into quarantine after a variant infection was found in their building, Chan warned that those who broke the law in the middle of a public health emergency would face legal consequences.
“There is a legal basis for every quarantine order. In the fight against the pandemic, everyone is equal so I hope people will cooperate,” she said. “There will be legal consequences for those who don’t [cooperate] … The law enforcement officers are now following up on their cases.”
Residents quarantined recently over variant scares continued to return home in batches yesterday after testing negative for Covid-19.
In a policy change announced on Friday, residents of buildings with variant infections do not have to serve 21 days of quarantine as initially required, but they will have to be tested four times over a period of self-monitoring.
However, those living in the same household as an infected person, or a subdivided flat, will have to undergo full quarantine.
Under the revised rules, close contacts who have received both doses of a vaccine at least 14 days earlier – and are not linked with patients carrying variants – will be sent to a quarantine centre for seven days before they are allowed home for a week of selfmonitoring. They are also required to be tested on the 12th day. Close contacts of variant cases will be quarantined for 14 days, rather than 21, in government facilities. They will also have to self-monitor for seven days afterwards and take a test on the 19th day.
“We think the newly adjusted measures are appropriate as they were rolled out after our well thought-out consultation with the experts, taking into account the latest infection data and the epidemic situation. The existing variant cases were traceable with an identifiable source,” Chan said.
She also raised the prospect of close contacts of patients undergoing mandatory quarantine at home in the event of a surge of infections. “So far we have sufficient quarantine facilities, such as about 5,000 units in quarantine centres and also others in quarantine hotels,” Chan said. “But we will closely monitor the situation. If there are larger outbreaks which require putting more close contacts into quarantine, we need to put in place some backup plans … There might be a chance of home quarantine.”
Dr Gabriel Choi Kin, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association, warned that achieving herd immunity would not eliminate the threat from variant infections.
“Even with herd immunity through vaccination, variants hold a knife over our heads if border controls are not well kept and surveillance and follow-up are inadequate,” he told government radio.
Noting that trust in the government was key in determining whether the public was willing to get vaccinated, he said incentives under various schemes were not attractive enough. “Unfortunately, the schemes are complicated and not tempting enough to lure citizens to get vaccinated.”
We think the newly adjusted measures are appropriate SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH PROFESSOR SOPHIA CHAN