HONG KONG - Even with tightened measures to rein in the spread of Covid-19, Hong Kong gets no reprieve as the death toll mounts and more clusters break out in different buildings, including the most recent one at a domestic helper dormitory.
The territory is bracing for a gloomy Winter Solstice and Christmas, with Hong Kong officials now under added pressure to do more to contain the coronavirus from ravaging the city.
Dr Leung Chi Chiu of the Hong Kong Medical Association told The Straits Times on Wednesday (Dec 16) that the situation was "still critical".
Daily infections might have dipped from over 100 to hover around 69 to 98 in the past six days, but the bulk of those cases are local and officials have no clue as to their source, at least for a significant proportion of them.
More than 1,300 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the first two weeks of December. Of these, more than 1,200 were local cases and 34 per cent have not been traced to a source.
Hong Kong recorded 82 confirmed cases on Wednesday, including 79 local cases, of which 35 have unknown sources.
This brings the tally for confirmed cases to just over 7,800, including 123 deaths.
This week alone, six patients aged between 49 and 79 have died, prompting experts and officials, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to repeatedly urge the public to stay home and warn the younger population from being complacent.
At the daily briefing on Wednesday, Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority stressed that more patients are now in critical condition in a shorter span of time. She added that 70 per cent of intensive care unit beds are occupied so far.
Health officials are currently dealing with outbreaks linked to a Tai Po dormitory for foreign domestic helpers and public housing estates in Wong Tai Sin and Ngau Chi Wan. People who have visited or reside in these buildings have been urged to take the free tests.
Foreign domestic helpers serve some 400,000 households in Hong Kong.
Said Dr Leung, an infectious diseases expert: "With emerging outbreaks involving different high-risk settings, including inside multi-storey buildings and poorly regulated hostels for foreign domestic helpers, there is no room for complacency."
He added that colder weather in the coming festive period and the influx of returnees from Britain and other areas with worsening Covid-19 outbreaks remain major challenges for the city.
Chairman of the Hong Kong Employment Agencies Association Cheung Kit Man told public broadcaster RTHK on Wednesday that according to his estimates, there exist about 300 unlicensed dormitories for domestic helpers.
It would be difficult for the authorities to check who had stayed in these dormitories as there was no record, he said, adding that some helpers were allowed on their rest day to spend the night outside their employers' homes.
But government advisor and respiratory medicine professor David Hui told RTHK on Tuesday (Dec 15) that there are fewer people out on the streets and he expects the daily infection rate to decline around Christmas as the effects of tightened rules start to show.
Last week, the authorities reinstated some of the strictest measures - previously rolled out four months ago - to gain control of the pandemic.
For a two-week period till Dec 23, dine-in services are stopped between 6pm and 4.59am the following day, with the cap on patrons per table during dine-in hours to remain at two - same as the cap on public gatherings.
Businesses such as gyms, sports centres, beauty and massage parlours have also been forced to close, along with an earlier order for bars and pubs to shut.
Mrs Lam has announced that the government will ask the Legislative Council to approve before Christmas a fourth round of anti-epidemic relief funds for businesses that are hardest hit.
