Experts say HK needs mainland to aid virus fight

Hong Kong further tightened pandemic precautionary measures on Wednesday as the city reported a record-breaking 113 new coronavirus cases, including 105 local transmissions.

In the face of skyrocketing cases, medical experts suggested authorities accept the mainland's help to boost testing capacity in order to halt the transmission chain in the city as the sources of 63 of the new infections are unknown.

Recent cases with unknown sources showed an invisible transmission chain in the community, indicating a "very high" risk of large-scale community outbreak, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee told a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

In response to the outbreak, the SAR government announced it would expand mandatory face mask regulations in all indoor public venues, public transportation terminals and transit areas.

The new rule will take effect on Thursday and remain in force for two weeks. Violators face a maximum fine of HK$5,000.

Meanwhile, the government also extended the mandatory quarantine period for arrivals from the mainland to Sept 7. The quarantine rule for overseas arrivals as well as bans on operations of certain public venues and gatherings of more than eight people have been extended to Dec 31.

So far, the city has reported 2,131 coronavirus cases and 14 deaths. Hong Kong is experiencing a third wave of coronavirus infections, with more than one-third of those cases recorded this month.

Chan also confirmed that the mainland, which has attached great importance to the situation in Hong Kong, has offered to help.

To cope with the new outbreak, the government has recently collaborated with two mainland companies to conduct free tests for around 400,000 people in the city's four hardest-hit sectors－staff members in elderly care centers, catering, property management companies and taxi drivers.

The companies－Beijing Genomics Institution and China Inspection Company Limited, both of which have laboratories in Hong Kong－were called in to help with the massive testing.

Their involvement has significantly improved the city's testing capacity, which was restricted by limited manpower and machinery, Chan said.

It was reported that the lab run by the Beijing Genomics Institution can test around 5,000 samples per day－about half of the city's testing capacity－and produce results within half a day.

Infectious diseases expert Tsang Kay-yan said the pandemic may last for another six to eight weeks and the increasing daily spike is expected to place more pressure on local virus testing agencies, which are already strained.

He added that to effectively contain the coronavirus, the city's daily testing capacity needs to reach about 50,000, far more than its current capability.

To ease the pressure on local agencies, he encouraged the government to collaborate with leading firms from the mainland, which perform well in efficiency and cost control.

Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases under the Hong Kong Medical Association, told China Daily that the imminent task now is to improve virus testing capacity to prevent "disastrous" consequences.

Mainland testing agencies based in Hong Kong and those located in Shenzhen, which borders the SAR, could all be considered as possible collaboration partners, Leung suggested.