Coronavirus: infectious diseases expert questions schools reopening plan after more than 20 children, family members and staff linked to Hong Kong kindergarten are quarantined
- Authorities say those linked to HKVNS Alumni Association Kindergarten will be put in hotel designated for close contacts of patients with Covid-19
- Dr Joseph Tsang says government should reconsider move to allow all schools to resume classes on May 24 in light of new case
More than 20 children, staff and family members connected to a Hong Kong kindergarten were ordered to quarantine on Saturday, as a Covid-19 infection involving a four-year-old boy brought the city’s brief seven-day respite from local untraceable cases to an end.
With all local schools expected to resume face-to-face classes in less than 10 days, an infectious diseases expert suggested officials reconsider the move in light of the boy’s infection, or mandate that all schoolchildren be tested for the virus.
Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan said it was not surprising to see sporadic local untraceable cases as there were still hidden transmission chains in the community, but he hoped it did not involve the virus spreading quickly.
“Whether all schoolchildren would need to undergo testing … this could give a clearer picture how big the [Covid-19 infection] problem is,” Tsang said, pointing to the fact dozens of schools had reported outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infections recently.
In total there were three new coronavirus cases confirmed on Saturday, with the other two involving domestic helpers who had recently arrived from Indonesia. Fewer than five people tested preliminary-positive, all of whose sources of infection could be traced.