Coronavirus: Hong Kong authorities set target of zero daily infections as city confirms 14 new cases

Sophia Chan warns ‘untraceable cases could explode and trigger fourth wave’, reminding residents to stay vigilant

Four community testing centres kick off operations as social-distancing rules for restaurants, bars tighten again

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People queue at Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre for tests. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 12:03pm, 15 Nov 2020Updated: 11:28pm, 15 Nov 2020

Hong Kong’s top officials have pledged to step up the city’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak, setting a target of zero daily local infections and committing to avoid the double whammy of a Covid-19 fourth wave and the winter flu season.

Finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po and Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee made clear their positions in the battle against Covid-19 in blog posts, as the city reported 14 new coronavirus cases and residents flocked to get tested at four community centres that began operating on Sunday.

The new infections pushed the tally of confirmed infections to 5,458, with 108 related deaths.

Nine of the new cases involved arrivals from Indonesia, Poland, the Philippines, Hungary, Bangladesh, Russia, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

Of the five local cases, one had untraceable origins and involved a 49-year-old renovation worker who lived in Shing Wai House in Sha Tin’s Sun Tin Wai Estate. He last went to work at the Hong Kong Jockey Club in Happy Valley last Monday.

“We must set having zero local infections as a target,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan said. “Some infected patients may not show any symptoms, and thus there is still the threat of an invisible transmission chain.