Coronavirus: Emergency hotline for elderly Hongkongers records surge in Covid-related calls

Name: Rabbit dance goes viral as Chinese Covid-19 volunteers work around the clock amid a new surge
Uploaded: 2022-03-15T14:04:08.000Z
Duration: 2 min 6 s
Description: Rabbit dance goes viral as Chinese Covid-19 volunteers work around the clock amid a new surge

NGO-run hotline records sharp increase in Covid-related distress calls from 54 inquiries in January to 2,020 in first two weeks of this month

SoCO community organiser calls for government to increase number of hotlines and personal channels as seniors struggle to get help

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An NGO-run hotline has reported a massive surge in Covid-related calls from elderly Hongkongers. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Victor TingandJess Ma

Published: 10:04pm, 15 Mar 2022Updated: 11:45pm, 15 Mar 2022

The number of coronavirus-related calls to a popular emergency hotline for elderly Hongkongers has multiplied about 37 times since January, with a patient rights advocate having warned of a rise in “sudden deaths” during the city’s fifth wave.

Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, the NGO that operates a popular “safety phone” device which provides instant care-on-call services, shared the figures with the Post on Tuesday.

According to the association, the hotline received 54 Covid-related distress calls in January and 2,020 inquiries involving ambulance services in the first two weeks of this month.

Apart from the 2,020 calls, 1,141 users have told the NGO they had tested positive for the coronavirus. The group also received 45 calls asking for help with testing, and 211 about booking spots at designated clinics.

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Meanwhile, calls about other pandemic-related measures surged from 1,336 in January to 2,439 in early March, with most asking about inoculation centre locations, vaccine pass details or mandatory testing orders.