Patrons enjoy a drink at a bar in Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong on May 19, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 1,179 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as the new requirement for bar patrons to show negative rapid antigen test results obtained within 24 hours took effect.
Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said in a news briefing that the new cases included 1,085 local infections and 94 imported cases.
Nineteen new suspected cases of the infectious Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1– including seven that were untraceable– were found in Sham Shui Po, Fortress Hill, Clear Water Bay, Tuen Mun and Kwun Tong
He disagreed with suggestions that bar patrons should be allowed to take a RAT test right before they enter nightspots since a person who tests positive could already be spreading the virus.
“We advise people who go to these high-risk places to take the RAT at home. We do not advise doing a test at the bar. If the result is positive, it may cause infection at the bar,” Au said.
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Au said the 1,085 local infections included 423 cases confirmed by nucleic acid testing and 662 by RAT tests.
“Today, we have surpassed 1,000 local cases. We expect the trend to continue for some time. The main reason is that we are returning to normalcy and social distancing measures are being relaxed gradually,” he said.
Au said 19 new suspected cases of the infectious Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1–including seven that were untraceable–were found in Sham Shui Po, Fortress Hill, Clear Water Bay, Tuen Mun and Kwun Tong.
“Their total case number is 204. So, it only accounts for a very small amount of the total number of cases. But for this sublineage of Omicron, it is indeed quite widespread in the community. The untraceable cases are not concentrated in one district,” he said.
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He said Racks City bar on Wyndham Street and the FLM bar in Sheung Wan each had one new case, indicating that their outbreaks might be ending.
Au also said that 83 students and 30 teaching staff members from 103 schools reported having been infected, but the CHP did not detect any new outbreak.
Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief manager (Integrated Clinical Services) of the Hospital Authority, said at the same briefing that 17 critical patients, including three in intensive care units, and nine patients in serious condition were being treated in public hospitals.
He added that there were no new reported deaths, with the toll during the city’s fifth wave of infections remaining at 9,179.
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