Hong Kong experts warn of Christmas Covid-19 rush, predict citywide vaccine coverage by 2022 ‘if lucky’
- City confirms 95 new infections with fresh cluster emerging at public housing estate, as professor warns of 20,000 returnees for festive holidays
- First batch of shots could arrive by third quarter of next year, citywide protection by 2022, says government adviser on pandemic
The city’s Covid-19 spike showed no signs of easing on Sunday as another 95 cases were confirmed, including a fresh cluster at a public housing estate involving at least a dozen residents.
In another worrying development, a worker at the main community treatment and quarantine centre also tested positive, forcing about 100 people to be temporarily relocated to other areas of the facility.
Of the latest cases, 87 were locally transmitted, 36 of which were untraceable, according to the Centre for Health Protection. At least 50 people also tested preliminary-positive.
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Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert at Chinese University and government adviser on the pandemic, gave an approximate timeline for when the city could expect to receive vaccine supplies.