HK gets more COVID-19 help

Nation doing its utmost to stem spread in city as new cases top 10,000 Friday

Greater support from the nation and local communities has been pouring into Hong Kong's anti-pandemic fight as new COVID-19 cases in the city topped 10,000 on Friday, with 47 related deaths.

Two more mainland-sponsored community treatment and isolation facilities will be built in Fanling and near the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, according to the local government. Together with the six locations announced earlier, these planned facilities could provide some 50,000 additional beds. All the projects are being undertaken by China State Construction International Holdings Ltd.

An inflatable lab built by Guangzhou KingMed Diagnostics Group also came into operation in Kowloon on Friday. The lab's daily virus-testing capacity is expected to reach 80,000.

Nearly 2,000 tons of supplies, including 300 tons of fresh food, were received in Hong Kong on Thursday from Shenzhen's Yantian Port, Dachan Bay Port, and Mawan Port, according to a statement by the Hong Kong government on Friday.

The three ports have so far transported over 7,500 tons of urgently needed goods to Hong Kong, including 900 tons of fresh food.

Besides waterways, authorities are also studying the feasibility of transporting products by rail. Hong Kong officials and experts of MTR Corp conducted a site visit to Lo Wu on Friday morning.

Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link on Friday launched an operation to disinfect residential buildings over three decades old across the city. Members of the Link disinfected and cleaned common areas of the old buildings free of charge, including hallways and mailboxes.

As of 6pm of Friday, Hong Kong has received 14 million rapid antigen tests, 32 million masks, 200, 000 Chine medicine boxes and 300, 000 pulse oximeters from the mainland.

Also on Friday, volunteers from Chinese Essence Medicine Group distributed anti-pandemic supplies to local communities, including Chinese herbal medicine packs, self-test kits and disinfectants.

Many retired police officers have also signed up to join the police's special task force established to help in the pandemic fight.

A team of around 200 retired law enforcement officers will be assigned to help assist patients get isolated at Queen's Hill Estate starting next week, said David Lo, a former police sergeant who applied to join the team. Retired in 2015, Lo said it is the sense of duty to serve the community that brings him back to the front lines.

The city government also showed more resolute determination to assume primary responsibility in the anti-pandemic campaign. Recently, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor hosted a video conference with over 100 senior government officials, during which she briefed attendees' on their key roles under the government's action plan and required them to make all efforts to fight the contagion.

During the meeting, officials reported that so far 11 hotels have been converted into isolation facilities and commenced operations, providing about 3,800 rooms. Over 30 hotels are also undergoing conversion into quarantine facilities.

Given the surging number of people waiting for quarantine facilities to self-quarantining at home, medical experts advised them to strengthen disinfection, dine separately with family members, and closely watch their health.