‘Current measures aren’t controlling Covid outbreak’

A respiratory medicine specialist, Dr Leung Chi-chiu, said on Thursday that the recent increase in untraceable Covid cases shows that current pandemic restrictions are not enough to control the outbreak.

Since last month, Hong Kong has implemented a series of social distancing measures, such as the closure of schools and a ban on night-time dining at restaurants, to try to curb the spread of the virus.

But speaking on a radio show, Leung noted that infections of unknown source have now cropped up in many districts in the city.

“If our measures really worked, we should have seen a turn in our Covid situation within a week. We can only say our measures are effective if there is a downward trend in our overall infections and untraceable cases,” the expert said.

“If our measures aren’t working, we all have to work harder. Because if we can’t see a clear downward trend, we don’t have to discuss when we can control the outbreak. We have no hope of controlling it, if there is no downward trend. It will only get worse,” Leung warned.

The expert said officials should promptly follow up on infections and urge the public to stay home as much as possible.

He said the government should also make testing more convenient, , as many people would be reluctant to seek medical treatment during festivities to mark the start of Chinese New Year.