While Singapore is worried over the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 infections
Hong Kong is now fighting desperately against the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
Previously, Hong Kong was lauded as one of the role models when it comes to fighting against Covid-19.
International media also used the country as a benchmark for Singapore when we had many new Covid-19 cases daily.
Unfortunately, half a month after easing social-distancing measures “significantly”, a surge in Covid-19 cases had Hong Kong authorities scrambling again.
132 New Covid-19 Cases Over The Past Week
I know what you’re thinking: 132?! Singapore could overcome that in less than a day.
But the number is a tad bit more complicated than that.
Out of the 132 cases, 65 of them are classified as locally transmitted infections.
32 of the cases were linked to Kong Tai Care for the Aged Centre Limited in Tsz Wan Shan and “more than a dozen cases” to a cluster comprising of a congee and noodle shop in Ping Shek Estate and a restaurant in Jordan.
This also includes six taxi drivers.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), 12 of the cases are still unlinked as of the time of writing and health authorities have no idea how they got infected.
Here’s A S’porean Explanation:
AKA, we used Singapore’s terms to explain their situation.
In simpler terms, out of the 132 new cases reported, more than 50% of them are community cases.
And out of the community cases, almost 20% are unlinked cases.
If you remember, our health authorities aren’t just focused on the total number of Covid-19 cases being reported daily; they’re equally concerned over the unlinked cases.
Because for every one unlinked case, it could mean that there’s a hidden cluster (or reservoir) of Covid-19 infections that are going out to infect even more people every day.
Authorities Are Warning About A “Third Wave” of Infections
Senior health officials in the city are describing the situation as “very alarming”.
Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch at the Centre for Health Protection, said that the local chain of transmission is “very strong” and he’s concerned about a “massive outbreak”.
Hong Kong has started implementing a slew of measures again in an effort to contain the situation.
Similar to Singapore’s ‘Jam-Brake’ strategy (Okay, I kid, I mean, Circuit Braker strategy), Hong Kong has something called “Lift and Suppress”.
Basically, lift when numbers are low and suppress when numbers are high.
And now is the time for “suppress”, health minister Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee reportedly said.
Foreign domestic workers will be required to undergo a swab test and give a negative result before being allowed entry into the city.
Employers must also make arrangements for their FDWs to be quarantined for 14 days in hotels, paid for by employers.
Members of sea crew are now required to take a virus test before making their way to the city. If not, they won’t be allowed to enter.
Aircrew members, similarly, are required to submit deep-throat saliva samples upon arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport.
Other social-distancing measures like religious gatherings and a tightening of restrictions on dining and entertainment venues will be reviewed as well.
People will temporarily not be allowed to visit homes for the elderly.
Too Fast, Too Furious
Then, the question to ask now is: What happened?
Well, it could be because Hong Kong eased up on social restrictions too fast.
Health experts said that not enough tests are being carried out.
They also added that those who are exempted from mandatory quarantine, like aircrew members or ship crews, are not being monitored tight enough.
Before the resurgence, they were basically given free rein and do not even have to be tested for Covid-19 when they arrive in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the authorities allowed public gatherings again, and the max cap keeps increasing: at first from four to eight, then 50 last month.
Restaurants and bars were also allowed to resume operations at “closer to full capacity”.
There are also silent carriers in the city (read: asymptomatic cases) and with international travel resuming, people who were stranded overseas are allowed to come home again.
All of this, experts deduced, helped in bringing up the “third wave” of infections.
Meanwhile, we’ve gone out and compile a list of countries which are battling their second wave of Covid-19 infections right now and you’ll come to realise that all of them have one thing in common:
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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