Coronavirus: Hong Kong records fifth day in row of no new infections, but experts say imported cases likely in coming days as stranded residents return from Pakistan

There have been no local Covid-19 cases recorded in 11 days, and it was the seventh time in the same period that the city overall had no new infections, with the total remaining at 1,037. Sixteen more patients, meanwhile, were discharged from hospital.

The chartered flight with 319 residents landed in the evening and the returnees were due to have their saliva tested for Covid-19 at AsiaWorld-Expo, near the airport, before they were transferred to Chun Yeung Estate, a government quarantine camp in Fo Tan where they will spend 14 days in isolation. The flight costs about HK$6,000 (US$769) per person, paid for by the passengers.

The Immigration Department earlier revealed that it had been contacted by 3,200 residents stranded in India, while another 2,000 people were stuck in Pakistan. The government was planning to fly them back to the city in phases by chartered flights.

“We are expecting that some of these residents will test positive for the coronavirus after arrival or during quarantine, as the epidemic control measures in India and Pakistan are much less restrictive compared with Hong Kong, and no-symptom cases might return,” said Dr Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable diseases.

“As long as the government does its best to isolate these arrivals, the public does not have to be too worried, as the virus will not get into the community.”

Dr David Hui Shu-cheong, an infectious disease adviser to the government, agreed that border controls would be important in the next few months, as the city had transmission of the disease in check, so most of the new cases would be imported.