Fears of partial Hong Kong lockdown amid rise in coronavirus cases
Schools to extend closures; civil servants ordered to return to working from home
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A medical worker collecting a sample to be tested for Covid-19, at a specimen collection point for taxi drivers in a carpark in Hong Kong yesterday. Covid-19 testing facilities in the city are swamped, with many private hospitals reportedly fully booked after they were roped in to meet soaring demand.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A fresh wave of coronavirus transmissions has forced the Hong Kong authorities to extend school closures and raised fears of the city being placed under partial lockdown.
The authorities said yesterday that Hong Kong recorded 73 new cases, including 66 local transmissions in mahjong parlours and restaurants, continuing a trend that began a month ago when social distancing measures were relaxed and the cap on public gatherings raised from eight to 50 people.
The total number of infections now stands at 1,958, of which 557 local cases have been recorded over the past two weeks, putting Hong Kong's healthcare system and economy under severe stress.
Civil servants, who had been back in their offices since May, returned to working from home yesterday and will do so for at least one week.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Kevin Yeung announced that all public and private schools will start their new academic year later, in the middle of next month.
"We anticipate at this stage that classes of all schools, including international schools and kindergartens, which used to start their new school year early, would not commence earlier than Aug 17," Mr Yeung said.
Hong Kong microbiology expert Yuen Kwok Yung warned yesterday in a local radio programme that the city might have to go into partial lockdown if the surge in coronavirus cases continued.
"We might possibly need to lock down, not a lockdown of the whole city, but... close to a lockdown," Professor Yuen said.
As it is, Covid-19 testing facilities in the city are swamped, with many private hospitals reportedly fully booked after they were roped in to meet soaring demand for the tests.
Professor David Hui of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said members of the public had let their guard down recently, and warned that public hospitals would be under immense pressure if the daily number of new Covid-19 cases continues to hit three digits.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong University microbiologist Ho Pak Leung cautioned that the quarantine centres are almost full, with only 196 units left for immediate use.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Sunday described the situation as "really critical" and ordered face masks to be made compulsory for those visiting indoor venues such as supermarkets and wet markets.
The government is planning to build another 2,000 quarantine units in Lantau, on top of the planned 1,500 units, Mrs Lam said. About 700 units were projected to be available this week.
On Sunday, Hong Kong hit a record number of coronavirus infections in a day at 108, of which 83 were locally transmitted.
The authorities have put tighter measures in place to counter the spread, for example, closing bars and gyms, making it mandatory to wear masks on public transport and having restaurants do only takeouts from 6pm.
Hong Kong's economy is expected to take another hit. It shrank by 8.9 per cent year on year - its worst decline on record - in the first quarter, but analysts had hoped for an upturn once social distancing measures were relaxed.
This new wave of infection threatens any rebound, despite government subsidies and relief measures.
The jobless rate last month was the highest in more than 15 years, with the economy battered by the pandemic and the souring ties between China and the United States.
The looming risks of a lockdown will only worsen matters, analysts said.
