Coronavirus: close contacts of Covid patients at Hong Kong care homes will no longer be sent to quarantine centres to free up space

Close contacts of Covid-19 patients at care homes for the elderly in Hong Kong will no longer be sent to quarantine centres, while extra hospital beds and manpower will be added to cope with a potential influx of people at public health facilities, authorities have said.

The government on Thursday announced the new measures in response to patients swarming public hospitals in recent weeks, with one health expert saying adjustments should have been made earlier.

More than 1,600 residents from care homes for the elderly have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past week amid the recent surge of infections locally.

Patients wait in the accident and emergency area of United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong. Photo: May Tse
Patients wait in the accident and emergency area of United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong. Photo: May Tse

The Social Welfare Department said close contacts at the homes would be allowed to stay at their residence instead of being sent to quarantine centres, as was the case under previous guidelines.

Grace Li Fai, an executive council member of the Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong, welcomed the measures, saying it was pointless to move the elderly “back and forth” between facilities.

“The new measure will allow more beds for infected elderly, as close contacts will no longer be occupying them. This is an excellent adjustment to reserve limited resources for those who are most in need.”

Hong Kong on Thursday reported 19,705 new coronavirus infections, 954 of which were imported, and 34 deaths, bringing the total tally to 2,421,943 cases and 11,327 fatalities.

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