https://www.scmp.com/rss/500643/feed Victor Ting is a reporter who covers Hong Kong health and welfare news at the Post. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong’s new primary care authority will avoid becoming a “toothless tiger” if it cuts red tape and empowers community nurses to do more for patients, former health chief Sophia Chan Siu-chee has said. Now a professor of nursing at the University of Hong Kong, she said officials aiming to transform the city’s health landscape must also act to woo nurses and retain talent. Last year alone, 2,600 nurses quit the public sector. Chan welcomed Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s recent announcement... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197710/no-toothless-tiger-hong-kongs-new-primary-care-authority-must-cut-red-tape-get-more-nurses-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197710/no-toothless-tiger-hong-kongs-new-primary-care-authority-must-cut-red-tape-get-more-nurses-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 08:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong has banned dry goods stalls at the Lunar New Year fair in 2023, citing pandemic reasons, despite the city making recent efforts to resume normal life and host large-scale events. In a statement on Wednesday, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that the fair would span seven days from January 16 to 22, 2023, involving a total of 922 stalls at 15 locations. An open auction for those spots will start on November 9. But in a move that will disappoint dry goods vendors... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197333/hong-kong-bans-dry-goods-stalls-lunar-new-year-fair-fourth-year-row-citing-coronavirus-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197333/hong-kong-bans-dry-goods-stalls-lunar-new-year-fair-fourth-year-row-citing-coronavirus-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 11:41:50 +0000 The highly transmissible XBB could become the next dominant strain of Covid-19 in Hong Kong, but the population’s level of hybrid immunity should stave off severe illnesses, health experts have said. The city has recorded 140 XBB infections since an overseas traveller became the first known carrier on October 10, but the number still pales beside other cases involving dominant strains in the city, such as BA.4 or BA.5. They accounted for 95.1 per cent of local cases over the past two weeks,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197204/coronavirus-xbb-may-become-dominant-strain-hong-kong-health-expert-says-pointing-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197204/coronavirus-xbb-may-become-dominant-strain-hong-kong-health-expert-says-pointing-singapores?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Oct 2022 00:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong doctors could be required to report melioidosis cases by law after health officials confirmed three more infections, while water authorities stepped up efforts through increasing chlorine levels at a treatment facility to kill germs that may have caused the mysterious outbreak. In an evening statement on Tuesday, the Centre for Health Protection announced plans to make melioidosis a statutory notifiable disease, citing “a larger number [of infections] detected this year”, as it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197175/hong-kong-treatment-plant-adds-more-chlorine-water-search-cause-melioidosis-outbreak-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197175/hong-kong-treatment-plant-adds-more-chlorine-water-search-cause-melioidosis-outbreak-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 08:31:45 +0000 Hong Kong’s health chief will have the power to invalidate Covid-19 vaccination exemption letters from Wednesday, after the government amended the law in response to a court ruling that banned the move. A government spokesman on Tuesday said authorities had decided not to file an appeal against a High Court ruling last Friday that prevented the administration from revoking more than 20,000 exemptions issued by seven doctors suspected of malpractice, as it was not the “most appropriate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197155/coronavirus-officials-decide-soon-response-hong-kong-court-ruling-banning-move-nullify-20000-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3197155/coronavirus-officials-decide-soon-response-hong-kong-court-ruling-banning-move-nullify-20000-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Oct 2022 05:33:36 +0000 Civil servants and volunteers will go from door to door to sign up Hong Kong’s elderly in public housing estates in three districts for Covid-19 jabs from Saturday as part of a renewed push to vaccinate high-risk groups which include a free flu shot outreach programme for secondary school students. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau revealed the measures on Friday in a follow-up press briefing on the policy address, as officials confirmed overseas attendees of the coming Global Financial Leaders’... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196846/coronavirus-hong-kong-renewed-push-vaccinate-elderly-and-other-high-risk-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196846/coronavirus-hong-kong-renewed-push-vaccinate-elderly-and-other-high-risk-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:56:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s elderly will get an extra HK$500 (US$64) in medical vouchers if they spend more on primary care services, the city’s leader has announced in his maiden policy address, as part of a major healthcare reform aimed at reducing the burden on public hospitals. With the establishment of a new statutory authority to spearhead primary healthcare developments, as well as a partially government-funded screening and treatment programme for patients with chronic diseases taking centre stage in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196529/hong-kong-policy-address-primary-healthcare-reforms-and-greater-subsidies-elderly-step-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196529/hong-kong-policy-address-primary-healthcare-reforms-and-greater-subsidies-elderly-step-right?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:46:29 +0000 Hongkongers will be allowed to gather in public in groups of 12 on Thursday, up from four, after a top political advisory body approved the measure, 1,000 days after Covid-19 arrived in the city. But despite the further easing of the city’s coronavirus restrictions, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday indicated that a full reopening of the border with mainland China or relaxation of Hong Kong’s entry regime were unlikely prospects for the time being. The reopening of the border with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196330/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-not-upbeat-reopening-border-mainland-china-soon-admits-team-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196330/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-not-upbeat-reopening-border-mainland-china-soon-admits-team-still?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Oct 2022 04:25:19 +0000 Hong Kong’s policy of subjecting entire residential blocks to Covid-19 testing uncovered just 46 infections for every 100 buildings targeted during the early weeks of the fifth wave, researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found, calling the long-standing practice inefficient and not cost-effective. The team, which included professors Benjamin Cowling and Gabriel Leung, argued that while building-wide testing had worked well in the earlier stages of the pandemic, it was now past its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196099/coronavirus-46-cases-found-every-100-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196099/coronavirus-46-cases-found-every-100-buildings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Oct 2022 13:47:24 +0000 Hong Kong health experts on Friday urged residents not to panic after authorities recorded an “abnormal” spate of melioidosis cases, saying the chance of a major outbreak was slim as person-to-person transmission was rare. Caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, melioidosis is an infectious disease usually spread through contact with contaminated soil or surface water. Fifteen cases of melioidosis, for which there is no vaccine and can be fatal, were reported in West Kowloon between... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196020/hong-kong-logs-abnormal-spate-melioidosis-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3196020/hong-kong-logs-abnormal-spate-melioidosis-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:23:10 +0000 Shenzhen has promised to consider increasing its daily quarantine quota for Hong Kong arrivals once a Covid-19 outbreak in the mainland Chinese city is under control, the health minister has said. Attending the panel on health services meeting at the Legislative Council on Friday, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also revealed that four rounds of talks had been held with mainland officials about adopting a “reverse quarantine” plan. The arrangement is aimed at boosting cross-border traffic by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195973/coronavirus-shenzhen-consider-raising-entry-quota?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195973/coronavirus-shenzhen-consider-raising-entry-quota?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:05:45 +0000 BioNTech’s Omicron-specific vaccine can be introduced to Hong Kong as an alternative to the fourth dose of existing Covid-19 vaccines for residents aged 12 or above, two government advisory panels have recommended, and the shots could arrive in January at the earliest. Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a member of the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, on Thursday said additional data had proved the efficacy of the German-made vaccine against the original strain of the virus as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195820/health-experts-discuss-shortening-interval?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195820/health-experts-discuss-shortening-interval?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 07:29:16 +0000 Live performances in Hong Kong entertainment venues will restart from next week and authorities are considering increasing the cap on public gatherings to 12 people, up from the four allowed at present, as coronavirus infection numbers stabilise. The announcement on Thursday came as health officials confirmed 5,622 infections, including 387 imported ones, and eight more related deaths. The last time the daily number of cases broke the 5,000 mark was on September 24. Undersecretary for Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195755/coronavirus-hong-kong-wont-axe-frequent-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195755/coronavirus-hong-kong-wont-axe-frequent-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong has approved BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged six months to three years, with officials revealing talks with the drug maker on its supply have made “good progress” although no delivery time has been confirmed. The development came as the Centre for Health Protection on Wednesday recorded five more cases of new Omicron subvariant XBB.1 – said to have the strongest ability to evade vaccine protection – after the first infection, involving a traveller, was reported on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195651/coronavirus-omicron-subvariant-xbb1-strongest-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195651/coronavirus-omicron-subvariant-xbb1-strongest-far?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 05:02:34 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has cautioned against pushing ahead with lifting three days of medical surveillance for inbound travellers, saying “a steady and orderly” approach is needed as imported coronavirus cases have seen a more than twofold increase since hotel quarantine was axed. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who has faced mounting pressure from the business sector to get the border with mainland China fully reopened, also said that keeping the pandemic situation under proper control would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195537/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-cautions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195537/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-cautions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Oct 2022 05:56:53 +0000 Government health advisers were on Monday divided over whether Hong Kong should buy BioNTech’s Omicron-targeted coronavirus booster shot, with some saying it was more effective than the first-generation jabs, while another claimed the purchase would be a waste of resources. Their comments came as Hong Kong recorded its first Omicron XBB.1 subvariant from an imported case, but health experts warned against undue alarm over the more transmissible strain and said no policy change was needed. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195398/coronavirus-vaccines-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195398/coronavirus-vaccines-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Oct 2022 05:05:49 +0000 Covid-19 spurred the expansion of telemedicine at public hospitals in Hong Kong, with more than 45,000 sessions during the pandemic, and hospital chiefs are considering doing even more. The Hospital Authority, which oversees all the city’s public hospitals, said online consultations helped to cut waiting times, while doctors were able to see more patients, and satisfaction levels went up too. “We want to make it as convenient as online shopping, but we recognise we need to make more effort in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195328/hong-kong-public-hospitals-hope-expand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195328/hong-kong-public-hospitals-hope-expand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Oct 2022 23:00:13 +0000 Covid-19 has “plateaued” in Hong Kong but continued testing of arrivals is crucial to ensure new transmissive variants emerging overseas are caught before they take root in the community, health authorities have said. Equally essential was regular screening of residents, as the government hoped that making the practice widespread would help convince Beijing to fully reopen the mainland Chinese border, an insider told the Post on Friday, explaining why authorities had cut the price of tests. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195212/covid-19-has-plateaued-hong-kong-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3195212/covid-19-has-plateaued-hong-kong-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Oct 2022 10:01:59 +0000 Virgin Atlantic has cancelled plans to resume flights between Hong Kong and London from early next year, attributing the decision to “operational complexities” resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The move, which marks the end of almost 30 years of commercial ties between the city and the British airline, was announced by the company on Wednesday. Service along the route was temporarily suspended in December 2021 but was expected to resume next March. “After careful consideration,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3194925/shock-decision-virgin-atlantic-it-axes-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3194925/shock-decision-virgin-atlantic-it-axes-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 11:15:48 +0000 Hong Kong will create a new primary healthcare authority with an independent budget to ease the burden on the public sector, a move medical industry veterans describe as the biggest reform in a decade, the Post has learned. This could be a highlight of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address on 19 October, sources said, adding the city’s primary care blueprint will offer more support for community-based training of nurses and encourage closer collaboration between medical and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194553/biggest-healthcare-reform-decade-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194553/biggest-healthcare-reform-decade-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Oct 2022 00:00:13 +0000 The minister in charge of Hong Kong’s Covid-19 inoculation drive has made an appeal for young children to receive shots ahead of the vaccine pass scheme’s expansion on Friday to cover those aged five to 11 years, urging parents not to worry about “isolated” cases of adverse reactions. With about 50,000 unvaccinated children set to be barred from entering restaurants and other premises covered by the scheme, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan on Thursday called on parents to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194224/coronavirus-hong-kong-parents-urged-get-young?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194224/coronavirus-hong-kong-parents-urged-get-young?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:34:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s first study on using traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients with “long Covid” has found the therapy can ease symptoms such as fatigue in more than one in three patients. The findings, announced at a press conference on Wednesday, came days after Hospital Authority chief executive Henry Fan Hung-ling called for a “significant expansion” of the role traditional Chinese medicine plays in public healthcare and greater collaboration between its practitioners and Western... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194166/coronavirus-hong-kong-study-shows-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3194166/coronavirus-hong-kong-study-shows-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:13:19 +0000 About 50,000 unvaccinated youngsters in Hong Kong could be banned from entering premises such as restaurants, libraries and sports venues from Friday, when the vaccine pass scheme will be extended to children as young as five. The revelation came three days ahead of the new policy coming into force, as city leader John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents and local businesses to be patient over any further reopening to the world in terms of quarantine policies. “If we can put the [possible] rebound under... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193948/coronavirus-parents-can-add-childrens-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193948/coronavirus-parents-can-add-childrens-records?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 06:56:47 +0000 Hong Kong’s plans to further ease coronavirus travel curbs could be derailed if there is widespread breaching of regulations and a resurgence in infections, the city’s leader has warned amid mounting calls to end all restrictions to revive the economy. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu struck a cautionary note on Tuesday and urged local businesses to be patient in reaping economic benefits as it was only the second day under a new arrangement that no longer required overseas arrivals to serve... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193926/coronavirus-rule-breaches-infection-rebound-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193926/coronavirus-rule-breaches-infection-rebound-could?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Sep 2022 04:34:35 +0000 Hong Kong can further relax travel curbs and social-distancing rules provided Covid-19 cases do not rebound in the coming weeks, health experts have suggested, as the city took a major step towards re-engaging with the wider world by ending hotel quarantine for arrivals. Pointing to successive days of declining infections, the specialists argued the risk the coronavirus posed to the community did not outweigh the burden many rules placed on residents and businesses. Health officials reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193797/coronavirus-hong-kong-can-ease-social-distancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193797/coronavirus-hong-kong-can-ease-social-distancing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Sep 2022 05:48:08 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong will end hotel quarantine for arrivals starting from Monday, requiring people flying in to only monitor themselves for potential Covid-19 infection for three days, although the government has stopped short of providing a road map to lifting travel restrictions altogether. The long-awaited scrapping of quarantine, announced on Friday, marks a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193499/coronavirus-hong-kong-set-announce-friday-end?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193499/coronavirus-hong-kong-set-announce-friday-end?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:29:17 +0000 Hong Kong is facing a double whammy of Covid-19 and seasonal flu in a coming winter surge, the city’s health minister has warned, even as the current coronavirus wave subsides and public hospitals are set to restore 20 per cent of interrupted services. In a press briefing after receiving their fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot and a flu jab at the government’s general outpatient clinic in Sai Wan Ho on Thursday, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau and top officials under him revealed the influenza... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193395/hong-kong-facing-covid-flu-double-whammy-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193395/hong-kong-facing-covid-flu-double-whammy-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:31:33 +0000 Hong Kong’s health minister has expressed “deep disappointment” and promised criminal and professional investigations after three more doctors were arrested on suspicion of illegally issuing Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates, which brought the number of people detained on similar charges this month to five. Executive Council member and former health minister Ko Wing-man, medical sector lawmaker David Lam Lam Tzit-yuen and 10 local doctors’ organisations issued a condemnation of abuse... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3193375/fake-covid-vaccination-exemption-3-more-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3193375/fake-covid-vaccination-exemption-3-more-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:51:07 +0000 Hong Kong will review recommendations on whether to inoculate children against Covid-19 with a mix of the BioNTech and Sinovac vaccines, but experts have urged parents to make bookings for the latter now to quickly boost protection. Confirming an earlier report by the Post, authorities on Tuesday night also said Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau and an expert committee were examining an application to authorise the use of a BioNTech vaccine suitable for children aged six months to three... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193284/coronavirus-hong-kong-reviews-proposal-give?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193284/coronavirus-hong-kong-reviews-proposal-give?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Sep 2022 09:06:56 +0000 The long-awaited BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children may be available in Hong Kong as early as next month after the drug maker this week applied to the government for permission to supply the lower-dosage shots, the Post has learned. Approval would give parents another option when inoculating their children against the virus, as only the Chinese-manufactured Sinovac is available for those as young as six months. According to a source familiar with the situation, Fosun Pharma, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193177/coronavirus-biontech-vaccine-children-may-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3193177/coronavirus-biontech-vaccine-children-may-be?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Sep 2022 11:06:36 +0000 Hong Kong will require mainland Chinese to have received two shots against Covid-19 to qualify for a temporary vaccine pass starting on Saturday, the same criteria that arrivals from overseas countries must meet to gain access to most public places. The announcement on Friday night came days after a traveller from the mainland caused an uproar on social media by bragging she could “go anywhere” in Hong Kong despite having never been inoculated against the coronavirus. Arrivals from Macau, Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192826/hong-kong-align-rules-issuing-provisional-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192826/hong-kong-align-rules-issuing-provisional-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 15:00:51 +0000 The reproductive rate for the coronavirus has fallen below one for the first time since August 9, signalling the pandemic in Hong Kong could wane, but officials warned a rebound was still possible and called for a longer observation period. Health authorities on Friday said the estimated number of people infected by a single virus patient stood at 0.98 per cent as of September 7, indicating the spread of Covid-19 was slowing down. But officials needed more time to study the recent infection... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192656/coronavirus-3-cent-3165-elderly-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192656/coronavirus-3-cent-3165-elderly-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:33 +0000 Hong Kong’s health chief has fired back at experts who claim the city’s leader is mistaken in stating Covid-19 is much deadlier than the flu, accusing them of encouraging the public to treat a pandemic that has killed nearly 10,000 residents far too lightly. Medical specialists earlier put the city’s coronavirus fatality rate at 0.098 per cent, close to the 0.1 per cent recorded for influenza, but on Thursday Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau took aim at what he called faulty reasoning. “Simply... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192524/hong-kongs-leader-says-covid-19-six-times-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192524/hong-kongs-leader-says-covid-19-six-times-more?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:16 +0000 Hong Kong’s daily coronavirus caseloads have continued to fall, even as families gathered to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival over the long weekend, while a health expert has suggested the latest surge in Covid-19 infections may have peaked. But city leader John Lee Ka-chiu and several other experts remained cautious on Tuesday, arguing Hong Kong was still in a “critical week” as the consequences of greater social mixing and decreased testing over the holiday would take time to emerge. Lee said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192383/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-cases-continue-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192383/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-cases-continue-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2022 13:34:30 +0000 A surge in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong has shown signs of easing as the number of infections remained below the 10,000 mark for a third day, while experts called for authorities to scrap the use of testing orders to screen residential buildings. Hong Kong recorded 7,938 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, after hitting 11,091 last week. Despite the fall in infections, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the government would keep a close eye on the downward trend. “Indeed it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192199/coronavirus-covid-jabs-help-more-1000-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3192199/coronavirus-covid-jabs-help-more-1000-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:23:25 +0000 Hong Kong authorities have backed down and scrapped temperature checks for transit passengers after the US consulate in the city urged American citizens to avoid flying through the local airport to avoid the risk of being waylaid by Covid-19 travel rules. Without commenting on the consulate’s statement, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau stressed on Friday any further reopening to the world must be “based on data”. He also revealed that the government had started talks with a mainland Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191944/us-consulate-urges-citizens-reconsider-transiting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191944/us-consulate-urges-citizens-reconsider-transiting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 08:10:36 +0000 Children aged five to 11 will have to be inoculated with at least one jab against Covid-19 by September 30 to dine out in restaurants and enter most other business establishments in Hong Kong under an expansion of the vaccine pass arrangement, the government has announced. But by November 30, children in that age bracket must have received two vaccine doses, health authorities on Thursday said, as they confirmed more than 11,000 new infections, the most in a single day since March 24. Announcing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191774/coronavirus-only-1-jab-needed-first-phase-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191774/coronavirus-only-1-jab-needed-first-phase-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2022 05:53:18 +0000 Authorities in Shenzhen will “temporarily” reduce the city’s daily quarantine quota for Hong Kong arrivals from Thursday before halving it to 1,000 by the start of next week, the Post has learned, amid a resource squeeze during a worsening Covid-19 outbreak. A check of the Shenzhen municipal government’s website by the Post found that the total number of available units per day at the city’s designated quarantine facilities had dropped to 1,800 for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, reaching 1,500... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191721/shenzhen-reduces-entry-quota-hong-kong-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191721/shenzhen-reduces-entry-quota-hong-kong-travellers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2022 00:00:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s leading traditional Chinese medical school pledged on Wednesday to offer free consultation sessions and medicine for up to 50,000 residents with “long Covid”. The rehabilitation scheme, run by Baptist University, has already opened online registration and will target recovered elderly people aged 65 and over and those who were previously hospitalised with Covid-19 but have now been cleared of the virus. Can Hong Kong become a hub for traditional Chinese medicine? “Many recovered... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3191671/hong-kongs-baptist-university-chinese-medicine-school-launch-free-long-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3191671/hong-kongs-baptist-university-chinese-medicine-school-launch-free-long-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:09:34 +0000 When Hong Kong topped 10,000 Covid-19 infections in a single day last week, anxious residents were left wondering how bad the latest surge would be. Was the city on the brink of seeing overcrowded hospitals and a high death toll and the return of strict pandemic restrictions, just like earlier this year when the fifth wave of infections struck? Health experts and researchers have told the Post they do not expect anything as dire, emphasising that the current situation was unlike what happened... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3191443/no-crisis-ahead-hong-kong-experts-agree-covid-19-spike-not-serious-fifth-wave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3191443/no-crisis-ahead-hong-kong-experts-agree-covid-19-spike-not-serious-fifth-wave?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:26 +0000 Barring children from public venues if they have not received jabs Covid-19 could harm their long-term development, a Hong Kong concern group has warned, after parents complained about government plans to expand the vaccine pass to everyone aged 5 and above. The Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights on Monday said more than 1,600 messages about the change to the vaccine pass had been posted on its Facebook page since Friday, many of them from parents expressing concerns about the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191355/coronavirus-consider-childrens-growth-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3191355/coronavirus-consider-childrens-growth-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Sep 2022 06:09:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has confirmed officials are hatching plans to include children aged five years to 11 in the city’s Covid-19 vaccine pass scheme, as a top minister has also revealed that a major NGO will join the government’s effort to boost the inoculation rate among the elderly. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, confirming an earlier report by the Post, on Thursday said the vaccine requirement could help prevent children from developing severe coronavirus symptoms. “We are indeed thinking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190952/coronavirus-5-11-age-group-set-be-included-hong-kong-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3190952/coronavirus-5-11-age-group-set-be-included-hong-kong-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 06:47:03 +0000 Children aged between five and 11 in Hong Kong will need to have two coronavirus jabs to enter restaurants and other public premises under an expected move by authorities to extend the vaccine pass to younger residents, the Post has learned. Instead of three shots required for adult residents, sources said children would only be required to take two doses of either the German-made BioNTech or Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine to qualify for the scheme. “The government will make sure there is a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3190768/john-lees-first-visit-guangzhou-and-shenzhen-postponed-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3190768/john-lees-first-visit-guangzhou-and-shenzhen-postponed-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Aug 2022 01:53:56 +0000 Hongkongers are 10 times more at risk of developing heart inflammation after receiving a second dose of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine than if they have not been inoculated although the odds are very low, a new local study using big data analytics has found. The researchers said the benefits of having the vaccine still outweighed the risks especially for vulnerable groups such the mentally ill who were more likely to be admitted to hospital if they contracted the virus and were an overlooked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190742/coronavirus-big-data-helps-analyse-rare-effects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190742/coronavirus-big-data-helps-analyse-rare-effects?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:58:43 +0000 Top Hong Kong health officials will meet their pandemic advisers on Tuesday to discuss the latest surge in Covid-19 infections, with one expert warning cases could peak at 20,000 a day next month. Lau Yu-lung, chair professor of paediatrics at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and a top government adviser, forecast the increase in infections on Monday but cautioned against tightening rules on in-person school classes or quarantine. 6 out of 10 Hong Kong secondary pupils fear socialising without... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190516/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-tally-could-peak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190516/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-tally-could-peak?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2022 05:00:11 +0000 Medical researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have called for citywide action to track a drug-resistant superbug that made its presence felt in hospitals before the Covid-19 pandemic. They suggested setting up a centralised reporting platform for all cases of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae – commonly referred to as CPE – to combat the surge. Medical specialists told the Post the presence of this superbug was worrying, and Hong Kong needed to step up screening for it,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190461/superbug-rise-hong-kong-university-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190461/superbug-rise-hong-kong-university-researchers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Aug 2022 23:00:13 +0000 Hong Kong is gearing up to battle a rising trend of Covid-19 infections – expected to reach 10,000 new cases a day soon – with the health minister suggesting on Friday that some stringent anti-epidemic measures could make a comeback and further opening up of the city at this stage was “not possible”. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also announced some immediate tightening measures, including imposing compulsory quarantine on elderly Covid-19 patients at an official facility, and from Sunday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190258/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-tally-could-cross?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3190258/coronavirus-hong-kongs-daily-tally-could-cross?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 05:32:25 +0000 Health authorities have warned of a “worrying” trend in Covid-19 infections with multiple transmission chains across Hong Kong, while they investigate more than 600 suspected violations of quarantine or isolation orders. The city reported 6,617 new infections on Monday – the fifth straight day above the 6,000 mark. “This is worrying, as it means there are many transmission chains in the community,” said Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer of the Centre for Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189756/coronavirus-over-600-suspected-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189756/coronavirus-over-600-suspected-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:02:31 +0000 More children in Hong Kong are being admitted to hospital after developing croup as a result of contracting Covid-19, veteran paediatricians have warned, as the city’s leader urged parents to vaccinate youngsters against the disease without delay. The government on Wednesday also revealed that two-dose vaccination coverage for those aged three years and above had finally reached 90 per cent, but the inoculation rate for children under that age stood at just 3 per cent. Chief Executive John Lee... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189213/frequency-hong-kong-children-sent-hospital-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189213/frequency-hong-kong-children-sent-hospital-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:31:48 +0000 The death of a 22-month-old girl in Hong Kong less than 24 hours after catching Covid-19 earlier this month, only the second child coronavirus fatality recorded in the city, made waves locally, leaving in its wake worried parents in a city that has seen most pandemic edicts scaled back. The case prompted a quick response from health experts who recommended lowering the Covid-19 vaccination age to six months, and from the government which rolled out that policy by making the Sinovac vaccine... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189126/all-you-need-know-about-covid-19-vaccines-babies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3189126/all-you-need-know-about-covid-19-vaccines-babies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:25:38 +0000