Coronavirus: US elevates Hong Kong risk level despite absence of local cases; 13 imported infections logged
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention raises status from low to moderate, urging full vaccination for anyone considering travelling to city
- Hong Kong has recorded no local infections since August 17, with that single case now seen by local experts as likely to have been contracted at airport
In its travel advisory, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday urged Americans to “make sure you are fully vaccinated before travelling to Hong Kong”, adding, “if you must travel and have concerns, talk to your doctor”.
Where destinations lie on the CDC scale depends on the number of infections per 100,000 people and a “new case trajectory” over a 28-day period, though no specifics about how that is calculated are provided on its website.
The four levels range from “low” to “very high”, with the latter meaning all travel to a destination should be avoided. But how Hong Kong’s status came to be downgraded remains unclear, with local experts left bewildered by the decision.
Professor Benjamin Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong, said he thought it was a mistake on the CDC’s part. “Give it a few days, probably they will correct it,” he said.
On Tuesday, local health authorities confirmed 13 new cases, all of them imported, including five from Morocco and two from the Philippines. The latest infections took the city’s overall count to 12,209 cases, with 213 related deaths. Fewer than 10 preliminary-positive cases were reported.
Health officials also launched an ambush-style lockdown in North Point for overnight Covid-19 testing of residents, the first in many weeks. The operation at Two Island Place was the result of a suspected re-positive case. The man, who had been infected with Covid-19 in India in April, was found to be positive after being tested in Hong Kong on Monday, but the viral level was low.
In a separate development, the authorities slapped a fresh two-week ban on Qatar Airways from flying into the city after four of its passengers tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at the airport. The ban runs until October 11. Turkish Airlines also withdrew flights for sale until October 12, indicating health officials had also banned the carrier.