HK boosts COVID-19 efforts

Government sets aside 9,000 hospital beds, steps up care home vaccinations

Hong Kong strengthened efforts to treat COVID-19 patients and assist infected seniors on Wednesday, with the government setting aside 9,000 public hospital beds for infected people and aiming to finish the first dose of vaccination in all of the city's over 1,000 care homes.

The developments were announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor at a special news briefing. Lam will hold daily briefings to introduce the latest anti-pandemic initiatives until the fifth wave of outbreak in the city is over.

Hong Kong reported 25,991 new COVID-19 cases confirmed by nucleic acid tests on Tuesday, with its self-test declaration platform receiving 32,766 reports from residents who tested positive in rapid antigen tests.

During the briefing, Lam said 9,000 public hospital beds-about half of the city's hospital bed capacity-will be set aside for COVID-19 patients.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital will also be designated for treating COVID-19 patients, with other patients at the hospital to be transferred to other hospitals in the next four days.

Lam said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government plans to help all of the elderly and disabled people in the city's care homes receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by March 18.

She also pledged that more isolation facilities and assistance will be offered to the two vulnerable groups and their caregivers.

The elderly currently in home quarantine will receive packages of anti-pandemic materials from the government that will include rapid test kits, Chinese medicines, thermometers and health handbooks. They will also be given priority at 17 designated clinics and in reserving designated vehicles.

Also on Wednesday, the Hospital Authority enhanced support for high-risk patients.

It will try to identify the elderly, children, pregnant women and those with weak immune ability, and give priority to them in treatment and assistance.

Lam told the briefing that the city's universal testing program was still in the planning stage and the SAR government will decide on when to implement it depending on the pandemic situation.

On Tuesday, the government began to randomly offer nucleic acid tests to residents who reported a positive result on the rapid test declaration platform.

The second community isolation facility built with the nation's help during the latest outbreak began operation on Wednesday. The facility, in Sin Tin village, Yuen Long, was completed in two weeks and can provide 2,800 beds to COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

When inspecting the facility, Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu expressed great appreciation for the nation's help. He also revealed that about 1,000 rooms at the Tsing Yi isolation facility have received COVID-19 patients.