‘Efforts in care homes failed to keep up with Covid’

Welfare Secretary Law Chi-kwong on Monday conceded that anti-epidemic efforts in care homes have failed to keep up with the Covid-19 outbreak.

The minister was responding to government adviser Yuen Kwok-yung, who said care homes are the weakest link in Hong Kong’s fight against Covid.

Yuen, who is a microbiologist, said there hasn’t been enough monitoring from the Social Welfare Department to make sure care homes implement various anti-Covid measures.

Speaking on morning radio shows, Law said the authorities have been supporting care homes in the fight against the virus, taking into account a list of measures to prevent outbreaks put forward by Yuen in 2020.

Law said it is true that the efforts made in care homes have not been able to keep up with the developments of the pandemic, but officials are trying their best to catch up.

On vaccinating elderly people in care homes, Law said opposition from relatives of residents has eased recently.

He said 40 percent of elderly care home residents have been infected and have since recovered but must wait before they can be jabbed, while 55 percent have already been inoculated.

Law said the remaining five percent of residents are more likely to be unsuitable to receive a vaccine, rather than being opposed to the idea.