Coronavirus: Hong Kong’s fourth wave of Covid-19 cases has ended but don’t ease rules yet, government pandemic adviser says

But infectious disease expert Professor Yuen Kwok-yung suggests social measures could be relaxed for fully vaccinated residents

City has maintained zero local infections for 28 days, Yuen says, while also warning the public to brace for potential fifth wave

4-MIN READ4-MIN

99+

The most important infection control measure is vaccination, experts say. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Elizabeth Cheung,Kathleen MagramoandLilian Cheng

Published: 5:44pm, 29 May 2021Updated: 12:02am, 30 May 2021

Hong Kong’s fourth wave of Covid-19 infections has finally ended, a government pandemic adviser has declared, while also warning the city to brace for a potential fifth one and not ease social-distancing rules.

But Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, an infectious disease expert from the University of Hong Kong, on Saturday suggested social measures could be relaxed for fully vaccinated residents while the movement of those who did not receive Covid-19 shots should be restricted.

The city’s sluggish inoculation rate was given a shot in the arm on Friday with the announcement of a HK$10.8 million lottery for a flat offered by tycoons.

“After reviewing all data, we believe the fourth wave has come to an end and we have maintained zero local infections for 28 days,” said Yuen, who concluded local cases in the past few weeks were not recent or community infections.

Professor Yuen Kwok-yung. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

The time frame, which covers two 14-day virus incubation periods, is generally seen as the benchmark for defining whether a place has reached zero local infections. Hong Kong last recorded a local case with an untraceable source on April 23.

Health officials confirmed one new imported case involving a 42-year-old woman who arrived on Friday last week from Indonesia. She tested positive on her seventh day of hotel quarantine.