One in four Hong Kong Covid-19 patients had travelled to places outside pandemic’s new epicentres in Europe and North America
- Health experts call for mandatory testing on all inbound travellers at border facilities instead of just those from countries with the most serious outbreaks
- 950 trips outside Hong Kong are known to have been made by all patients
One in four Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong travelled to places outside the pandemic’s new epicentres in Europe and North America, a Post analysis has found.
The findings have sparked calls for mandatory testing on all inbound travellers at border facilities instead of just those from countries with the most serious outbreaks.
With the city’s new coronavirus infection figures dwindling to just one on Thursday, the lowest in more than five weeks, attention has turned to long-term containment strategy, as officials mull plans to reopen the economy and society after weeks of lockdown and social-distancing restrictions.
The city has barred all non-residents from entry from overseas countries since March 25, and required all returning residents as well as visitors from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan to undergo quarantine for 14 days.
Health authorities began collecting deep throat saliva samples from groups deemed to have higher health risks arriving at the airport on March 19, and later expanded the scheme to cover all arrivals.