Coronavirus: Hong Kong will stop giving tracking wristbands to patients because of sheer infection numbers; city confirms more than 29,000 cases
- Visiting health expert Dr Liang Wannian says sharp case rise largely contained but urges residents to remain cautious
- Hospital Authority records 196 coronavirus-related fatalities in the past 24 hours, in addition to 98 deaths only reported on Friday
Hong Kong’s health minister said on Friday that authorities had stopped distributing electronic tracking wristbands to Covid-19 patients under home isolation because of the sheer number of infections, with the city confirming more than 29,000 new cases.
For the first time, health officials also said there were enough supplies of oral pills for elderly Covid-19 patients, who face a higher risk of infection and death.
Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told lawmakers on Friday that authorities stopped handing out the wristbands also because of difficulties some people had in wearing them, but did not explain the challenges.
“The Innovation and Technology Bureau and Security Bureau will continue to put effort into checking whether people [under home isolation] will leave home if there are no electronic wristbands,” Chan said at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s health services panel.
Government pandemic adviser Professor David Hui Shu-cheong said the rollback on tracking devices made little difference, since most of those who received them had already recovered, while others did not report their infections.
“There are too many confirmed cases and the government cannot handle it. It is a practical decision. If you cannot deal with all the cases, then do not do it,” Hui said, adding that he was confident people under home isolation would comply with the rules even without the devices.
Respiratory medicine expert Dr Leung Chi-chiu also backed the decision, saying the wristbands were only effective when distributed as soon as a patient tested positive, given the Omicron variant’s short incubation period.