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Coronavirus: Hong Kong discharges first recovered patient as 10 others from city confirmed to be infected in Hubei
- Recovered patient identified as 25-year-old man who was infected locally through an unknown source
- City reports 50th confirmed case, a restaurant worker and colleague of woman who attended family hotpot meal linked to 11 other infections
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Hong Kong’s first coronavirus patient to recover from the deadly new illness known as Covid-19 was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, even as 10 Hongkongers were confirmed to be infected in the mainland Chinese province of Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak.
This came as President Xi Jinping chaired a Politburo Standing Committee meeting in Beijing to send out a message that China had achieved initial victory in controlling the outbreak that has claimed more than 1,100 lives in the country.
Hong Kong also reported its 50th confirmed case, a 51-year-old restaurant worker and colleague of a woman who attended a family hotpot meal that was linked to 11 other infections.
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The recovered patient who left Princess Margaret Hospital on Wednesday was identified as a 25-year-old man who became the city’s 18th confirmed case, infected locally through an unknown source.
Officials said more recovered patients could be discharged soon in some positive news for the city amid a health crisis that has hit daily life and business hard while also sparking panic buying of masks and essential goods.
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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, under fire for her administration’s handling of the crisis, had been lobbying foreign missions in the city to assure their respective governments there was no need to ban travel to Hong Kong, but the US State Department dealt a blow to her efforts by allowing its consulate staff and their families to flee the city.
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