Coronavirus: Hong Kong shortlisting hotels for asymptomatic patients as public treatment facilities reach capacity

Name: Hong Kong prepares for tightest restrictions yet as Covid-19 cases top 1,100
Uploaded: 2022-02-10T00:00:32.000Z
Duration: 4 min 36 s
Description: Hong Kong prepares for tightest restrictions yet as Covid-19 cases top 1,100

Officials believe hotels may be a better option to isolate asymptomatic patients, as it will minimise risk of household-to-household transmission, source says

Experts and government advisers say measures, regardless of whether patients stay at home or in hotels, should begin immediately to save health system from potential collapse

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The Penny’s Bay quarantine centre on Lantau Island had previously been used for close contacts. Photo: Felix Wong

Lilian Cheng

Published: 8:00am, 10 Feb 2022Updated: 8:40am, 10 Feb 2022

Hong Kong is shortlisting hotels to place asymptomatic Covid-19 patients as public treatment facilities reach capacity, preferring such isolation to having them stay at home which is deemed riskier in densely populated areas, the Post has learned.

Home isolation for such patients would be a last resort if all other options were exhausted, sources said.

However, health experts and government advisers warned that such isolation measures, regardless of whether patients stay at home or in hotels, should begin immediately to save the public health care system from a potential collapse.

Hong Kong on Wednesday recorded a daily total of more than 1,000 Covid-19 infections for the first time, with a source revealing health authorities have estimated cases will surge to about 2,000 a day in the next few days, putting a toll on the already stretched health care system.

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Hong Kong prepares for tightest restrictions yet as Covid-19 cases top 1,100

With caseloads rising exponentially, preliminary-positive patients have been rushing to hospital accident and emergency units, and the Hospital Authority has said some people may have to wait a few days for admission. Concerns are also growing that the system would run out of beds to meet the rising demand.