Hong Kong outbreak of the fourth wave of the new crown pneumonia, a number of experts said that the wave of the epidemic is more serious than before, the virus spread deep into the community, there are residential buildings become infected areas, a large number of residents need to be evacuated to the quarantine center, there are also residents need to undergo mandatory testing. A public opinion survey shows that about 60% of the public are dissatisfied with the performance of the Hong Kong government in coping with the new pneumonia, some district councillors criticized the Hong Kong government’s anti-epidemic measures hindsight, causing panic, and some district councillors criticized the Hong Kong government for suppressing the public in the name of epidemic prevention.
The fourth wave of the epidemic broke out in Hong Kong at the end of January, nearly 11 months ago, to the end of November, a number of experts said that this wave of the epidemic is more serious than before, the virus is highly contagious, the past 15 days nearly 1,400 new confirmed cases, Tuesday to Thursday (December 8-10) for three consecutive days confirmed more than 100 cases, Friday (December 11) recorded 86 confirmed cases, the cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 7,378.
Experts say the fourth wave of the epidemic is more serious than before
The virus strain in this wave is different from the previous waves, said Chan Kam-chung, a member of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority’s Intensive Care Unit Coordinating Committee, at a regular briefing last Monday (Dec. 7). According to clinical observations, patients in critical condition were sent to the intensive care unit with high viral load and higher infectivity. At the same time, the patients’ delayed antibody response makes the virus more likely to infect others.
Chen Jinsong said, currently in the public hospital patients, 36 people in critical condition, of which 33 were admitted after the first of last month. Six of the critically ill patients are under 60 years old, two of them are under 50 years old, the data reflects that the critical condition is not only limited to older people, and some patients have become very poor when admitted to the hospital, there are patients in the emergency room has to insert the throat to assist breathing, and must be immediately sent to intensive care units to rescue.
The fourth wave of the spread of the epidemic chain deep into the community, a number of residential areas have residential building outbreaks of group infection, the Hong Kong government on Wednesday night (December 9), the media reported that the Regent Garden Block 6 in Kowloon Bay found a number of confirmed cases, before issuing mandatory testing orders.
Emergency evacuation for residents of residential buildings classified as infected areas
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) admitted on Thursday (December 10) that based on the reality of the constraints will be later to know the larger cluster of infections, the emergency dispatched the University of Hong Kong Department of Microbiology Chair Professor Yuen Kwok-yung to Regent Garden Block 6 to inspect, he said in an interview with the media, found that the way the building’s pipes are connected with the 2003 outbreak of SARS cluster outbreak of Amoy Gardens similar, there may become a channel of transmission.
Yuan Guoyong also said that Regent Garden Block 6 has become an “infected area”, all D room residents to evacuate urgently, other residents because not enough bit quarantine only in the community to receive mandatory testing.
The Kwun Tong District Councilor Lee Wing-shan, who himself is a resident of Regent Garden, said in an interview with the Voice of America that the information released by the Department of Health on the epidemic was confusing, and she criticized the Hong Kong government’s anti-epidemic measures as hindsight and lack of foresight, and the confusing arrangements left residents at a loss, leading to panic.
Poll says 48% oppose mandatory use of “travel safe” mobile app
The Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion released on Friday the latest public opinion survey on the government’s response to the new coronary pneumonia. One of the online surveys asked whether the government should make it mandatory for the public to use the “travel safe” cell phone application to record their travel locations, otherwise they would not be allowed to enter the designated premises to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Among the 8,231 respondents, 48% opposed and 35% supported the idea. Among the 7,483 self-proclaimed supporters of the democratic camp, 84% opposed and only 3% supported the idea, while among the 748 self-proclaimed non-democratic supporters, 54% supported and 27% opposed the idea.
District councillors criticize the government for monitoring the public in the name of epidemic prevention
The vice chairman of the Labor Party and Eastern District Councilor Mak Tak-ching, who attended the press conference, said that since last year’s anti-sending campaign, public sentiment has become more and more distrustful of the Hong Kong government, and is more and more wary of information technology monitoring measures.
The fourth wave of the epidemic is also triggered by imported cases, the virus strain from Nepal, McDougall believes that the Hong Kong government’s epidemic prevention measures should be closed, as well as strengthen the monitoring of the entry of people exempt from quarantine, he criticized the Hong Kong government to use epidemic prevention measures in the name of monitoring the public as the reality.
He criticized the government for suppressing the public in the name of epidemic prevention.
In response to the 17 people infected with the disease in Block 8 of Kwai Shing West Village in Kwai Chung earlier, the Hong Kong government did not require residents to undergo mandatory testing, which was criticized as an afterthought. Secretary for Food and Health Chan Siu-chee said on Tuesday (December 8), the Executive Council on that day has passed legislation to amend the details of the blockade test, the law also passed so that the Government has the right to require the public to stay at home until the results of mandatory testing, when a significant number of infected people in certain premises, and may come into contact with a significant number of people in the premises; or in the place of all significant risk of infection, can be issued mandatory testing The notice will last up to 7 days.
Commentators say Hong Kong government’s handling of the epidemic has become a political issue
According to an online poll released by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, nearly 60% of the 791 respondents were dissatisfied with the government’s performance in dealing with the new pneumonia epidemic.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held a press conference on Friday to announce the progress of ordering vaccines in Hong Kong as well as the measures and list of designated quarantine hotels. Mrs. Lam said the Hong Kong government made a breakthrough in ordering vaccines on Friday, and has signed agreements with mainland China’s vaccine manufacturer Sinovac and Fosun Pharma’s BioNtech/Pfizer, and the first batch of vaccines will arrive in Hong Kong next month.
In response to some people’s concerns about the quality of vaccines produced in China, Mrs Lam said not to politicize the vaccines, stressing that all vaccines ordered by the Hong Kong government are in line with international standards.
Mrs. Lam said the Hong Kong government’s goal is to have the majority of Hong Kong people vaccinated against Newcastle pneumonia by 2021. The Hong Kong government will not make vaccination mandatory, and she believes that Hong Kong people will be more willing to get vaccinated if they can travel afterwards. She said. Vaccination priorities are all managed centrally by the government, so the private market may not have access, but the Hong Kong government may assist through private doctors.
According to the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, there were 86 new confirmed cases of Newcastle pneumonia on Friday, of which 81 were local infections and 37 were of unknown origin.
Recent Comments