With at least 20 new cases of confirmed Covid-19 cases, Hong Kong is currently facing the third wave of the coronavirus.
Though it is still unclear whether or not the 20 cases involved local transmissions, authorities in Hong Kong will not rule out a further tightening of social distancing measures.
Currently, the country has a total of 1,403 cases with seven deaths and the latest numbers posted today was a continuation of 38 cases which took place the day before.
As part of their efforts to curb the third wave, the Hong Kong government is working on testing target groups, including the latest cluster involving the staff at an elderly care home, taxi drivers and workers in the catering industry.
According to the Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, the spike in cases was worrying but gave the assurance that the city could handle it.
“This is very worrying but then I think we have experience in handling it, be it contact-tracing, testing, quarantining and also isolation.”
“Before this outbreak, I’ve always emphasised that we have entered into a new normal and … society will have to understand that the virus is always with us.”
“And also looking at the experience of other countries … when they go back to normal, their epidemic situation and number of cases have increased, so this is kind of expected.”
Adding that the spike despite the new norm was expected, tighter social-distancing rules are in place, which includes capping maximum capacity of restaurants, screening of air travellers from high-risk countries such as Pakistan and India and suspension of schools.
Let’s hope that other nations including Malaysia do not have to face the brunt of a second or third wave once a new norm is put in place.
Also read: The Tabligh Cluster: How The Biggest Covid-19 Cluster In Malaysia Started & Ended in 4 Months
