‘Hospitals overstretched’ as new cases exceed 1,100

Hong Kong’s Covid-19 cases on Wednesday shot to a record high of 1,161, all but eight cases are local infections.

Two patients with Covid-19 have died. Both have chronic illnesses. One of them is a 73-year-old man who has been double-jabbed against the coronavirus and another is a 76-year-old man who was unvaccinated.

The Hospital Authority said two other patients are in critical condition and three are serious.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said some patients are retirees and housewives who had visited shopping malls and markets.

She said many of those infected had taken part in large gatherings during the Lunar New Year period.

A number of elderly care homes are to be evacuated after some residents and staff came down with the virus, she added.

Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority urged people who test positive for the virus not to flock to already overstretched emergency wards at public hospitals.

He advised them to do a deep throat saliva test to confirm their infections.

He also appealed to the public not to go to public hospitals but visit their family doctors for other mild illnesses.

Lee said as the number of patients grows at a “shocking” speed, public hospital staff are busy caring for thousands of patients.

He said the occupancy rate of isolation beds at public hospitals is reaching 90 percent, and officials are trying their best to transfer more patients with no or mild symptoms to the Penny’s Bay isolation facilities in a bid to relieve the burden on hospitals.

Authorities reported 800 preliminary positive cases for the day.