Coronavirus: at least 60 more test positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong, as hospital bed shortage means recovering patients could be sent to quarantine centres
- Woman in 21st week of pregnancy who had been to Brazil and US among new cases
- City’s leader Carrie Lam says patients being kept waiting for beds is ‘not satisfactory’ and announces tens of billions of dollars more in relief measures
Hong Kong could discharge recovering Covid-19 patients to make better use of isolation wards that are nearing full capacity, the city’s leader said on Tuesday, as it was revealed that at least another 60 people had tested preliminary positive for the coronavirus.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also announced the government would hand out tens of billions of dollars to help those suffering during the public health crisis in a second round of relief measures.
And Lam appealed to the city’s landlords to give shop tenants a break on their rent, with retail sales statistics due to be released later on Tuesday expected to record their biggest fall since records began.
“I appeal to landlords to waive rents for shop tenants, and I will request that all government departments offering rental services review the room for a further rental cut,” Lam said, adding that she had discussed the matter with the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong.
Among the newly admitted cases was a 36-year-old woman in the 21st week of pregnancy, a medical source said, making her the second pregnant woman to be treated for the disease in the city.