People burn incense sticks and pray at Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong on February 14, 2021, as they celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Ox with social distancing measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (PETER PARKS / AFP)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including two imported infections, bringing the city’s tally of confirmed cases to 10,779.
In a media briefing on Sunday afternoon, Albert Au, Principal Medical and Health Officer of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable disease branch, said there were three untraceable local cases while 10 persons tested preliminarily positive.
Au said the two imported cases involved an aircrew member who arrived on Feb 12 from Turkey and a foreign domestic worker who came from Indonesia on Jan 31.
The two imported cases involved an aircrew member who arrived on Feb 12 from Turkey and a foreign domestic worker who arrived from
One of the local infections involved that of a 35-year-old male hairstylist who worked at Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).
He worked in the make-up room with various guests and some 20 persons had been classified as his close contacts who would be quarantined.
Au also said four residents of Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui tested positive for the virus.
According to the Hospital Authority, there were 359 patients being treated in 23 hospitals and the AsiaWorld-Expo community treatment center, including 21 patients in critical condition and 17 in serious condition.
Under Secretary for Food and Health Chiu Tak-yi also said that 700,000 residents had downloaded the LeaveHomeSafe app.
Easing Virus Curbs
Also on Sunday, Chief Secretary for Administrartion Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said HK is considering easing some social distancing measures to let people's lives return to normalcy after the Lunar New Year holiday on condition that there is no major change in the epidemic situation.
Cheung said in a weekly online article that some restrictions imposed on entertainment venues and eateries could be eased from Thursday.
The government is cautiously optimistic, he added.
Places including gyms, beauty parlors, museums and cinemas will be able to resume limited operation, and restaurants will be allowed to extend dine-in services to 10:00 pm with the cap on diners per table raised from two to four
Places including gyms, beauty parlors, museums and cinemas will be able to resume limited operation, and restaurants will be allowed to extend dine-in services to 10:00 pm with the cap on diners per table raised from two to four.
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Additional anti-epidemic measures will be put in place in these places, including virus tests for their staff every two weeks while customers would be required to use the LeaveHomeSafe app or register their personal information to get in.
The government also plans to allow group gatherings of no more than four people, relaxed from two currently, and resume in-person learning in schools and kindergartens with limited school time and scale.
Despite the epidemic has begun to ease, Cheung called on residents to keep their guard up and stick to protective measures from wearing masks to reducing group gatherings as the battle against COVID-19 has not ended.
Cheung also said the Hospital Authority is working to put into operation the newly-built temporary COVID-19 hospital aided by the central government by the end of this month, which is able to add 816 negative pressure beds to the medical system.
READ MORE: CE urges people to reduce gatherings as HK sees 21 cases
Besides, the government is preparing for the mass inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine and aimed at giving free doses to most Hong Kong residents this year, Cheung added.
With inputs from Xinhua