Covid-19 May Have Peaked, Though Wait and See

Has Covid-19 peaked in this wave? May be too early to tell

Hong Kong may indeed have seen a turning point in the fifth wave of the pandemic, as the number of cases are starting to drop, but health officials warn people to continue to be vigilant and see what the situation is like in the next few days.

Today 31,392 cases were recorded, of which 24,380 were from PCR tests, 7,012 from RAT (rapid antigen test). 

However the number of deaths is still high at 281, of which 180 are new, 101 are backlogged. Of the 180 deaths, the age range is 47 to 112 years old and 122 were not vaccinated. Sound familiar? It's sad to hear someone 112 died because they were not jabbed, after all they have gone through.

Au can finally get a haircut with salons reopened

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection says the wave may have peaked between March 2-4 when cases were over the 50,000 mark, and now are starting to drop.

"The RAT daily caseload seems to be steady and not increasing. We're starting to see a drop too, so this is positive and it seems there is a chance the numbers will go down. But the public should not let their guard down," Au said.

"The public have worked hard over the past two months to follow social-distancing rules and ramped-up testing. We hope they will continue to follow these measures to further cut off transmission chains so the numbers can keep falling."

He warned people not to be too optimistic because the case numbers were still in the five-figure range could rebound if they were not vigilant.

Government pandemic advisor David Hui Shu-cheong agreed, adding the situation needed to be observed for another week before coming to any conclusions.

Hui admits people not reporting positive results

"The number of positive PCR test results is indeed dropping, but a number of the public have used RAT and authorities told those who tested positive from February 26 to report it within two weeks. Many of them have not done so. Also, many of my friends and relatives chose not to submit their results," he said.

Telling admission from Hui, who is revealing how many people feel about catching Covid-19 and not wanting the authorities to know in case they will be dragged to isolation centres where they have heard horror stories of hygiene and not being allowed out immediately once they are confirmed negative.

However Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned that residents who refuse to go to an isolation centre would face a HK$5,000 (US$639) fine and two months' imprisonment, while those who left such facilities during quarantine could also face a HK$5,000 fine and six months behind bars.

So where is the incentive to willingly report that you're infected?

Currently about 18,800 rooms for isolation are being used, about 40 percent.

This afternoon a woman I met a few months ago forwarded a voice message to me. It wasn't her voice, but a man explaining how to treat Omicron with Chinese medicine. He explained the Lianhua Qingwen capsules were effective -- but even more so when removing the powdered medicine from the capsules and swallowing it directly to make them even more effective.

This herbal medicine does not cure Covid-19

This is so bizarre, first of all Lianhua Qingwen is not considered a viable medication to fight Covid-19. The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority released a notice from last November stating there is not scientific evidence that any herbal product, including Lianhua Qingwen can be used to prevent or treat Covid-19.

In addition, when capsules are swallowed, they dissolve quickly anyway -- how is swallowing powdered herbal medicine going to treat someone even faster? It was a ridiculous suggestion and for it to be spread through Whatsapp is irresponsible too.

But here we are, still spreading misinformation and disinformation in the third year of the pandemic.

Either way, people are figuring out how to treat Covid-19 in their own way to avoid isolation as much as possible!

 

Thousands More Infected with Covid-19

More than 17,000 people reported infections today

Today Hong Kong logged 8,798 confirmed cases, but there are a whopping 17,279 cases that have been reported -- people either testing preliminary positive through government testing or through rapid antigen tests.

Both these numbers are records and sure to climb even higher in the coming days and weeks. 

In addition 50 people died, only six of whom had two doses of vaccines. One was a nine-year old boy who had a pre-existing genetic disease when he was a toddler, but was not vaccinated.

Hui strongly urges children get vaccinated

"If you are unvaccinated, it is very likely that your condition will deteriorate. With chronic illnesses, it is even more likely that complications will develop. That is why we are asking children to receive vaccines as soon as possible," said Dr David Hui Shu-cheong, a government adviser on Covid-19.

There are also heart-breaking stories of 11-month old babies ]who test positive for the virus but are forcibly separated from their parents and put into isolation. The Hospital Authority will not allow parents who have tested negative to be with the child under any circumstances. 

Another first today was the implementation of the regulation where everyone must scan the Leave Home Safe app that has the person's vaccination status uploaded to enter supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, and wet markets. 

People need to have at least one jab and scan the QR code of their vaccination record onto the Leave Home Safe app. That way when someone scans the QR code of a premises, the person's vaccination QR code pops up to show they have been vaccinated. 

Diners must upload vaccination status on app

However, according to some restaurant owners, many elderly people did not do this -- they either didn't know or didn't know how to it -- and so restaurant staff had to help them sort this out, or worse, turn them away. People can still get takeaway food if they don't want to scan the app.

Nevertheless, some restaurants have already seen a 40 percent drop in business today. There is also the issue of only having two per table. But another reason is no one wants to inadvertently become positive during universal testing which will begin in the coming weeks.

It probably won't be until after April 20 when the mass exercise is over when people will feel safer to go out to eat. It's a terrible situation, but so is some 17,000 possible infections reported in one day.

Today was also the start of further restrictions, where everyone exercising outside must wear a mask, even in country parks. This evening on my usual walk along the harbourfront most people complied -- only a handful of people had put their mask on their arm as they ran. 

I was shocked to find out today that one of my colleagues hasn't left his flat for two weeks. He is completely paranoid about stepping onto public transport. Another has also sequestered himself inside his flat too, and seems less witty in his messages. 

People must wear a mask exercising outdoors

It isn't really good to be holed up in your home mentally or physically. This fifth wave has made some people extremely scared, and very irrational. On the other hand my relatives still continue to refuse to get the vaccine despite the exponential numbers. I'm amazed they still haven't gotten infected yet. 

They have stashed up as much food as their flat can hold and then maybe when the cupboards and fridges (they have two) become bare then maybe they will get jabbed.

Their inability to rationalise the necessity of getting vaccinated to avoid serious health issues if infected continues to confound me. 

HK Delegates Told Not to Come to Beijing

Tam was told Friday not to come to Beijing next week

To illustrate how paranoid Beijing is about Covid-19 coming into the Chinese capital, Hong Kong's only delegate to the National People's Congress Standing Committee Tam Yiu-chung has been strongly advised not to come following one untraceable Covid-19 case.

It is that of a 48-year-old cargo handler who was infected on October 8 and the source of the infection is still unknown.

Tam's chances of coming into contact with this person is so small and yet Beijing has told him not to bother coming on Monday for the session from Tuesday to Saturday.

A cargo handler was infected on October 8

Three other NPC delegates from Hong Kong won't be going either: Choy So-yuk, Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung, and Wong Kwan-yu.

"I got a notification from the country's epidemic control office informing me that I would not be allowed to attend the NPC Standing Committee meeting," Tam said in a video clip posted by his party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. 

"Recently there was one unknown case in Hong Kong. The mainland attaches great attention to unknown cases," Tam said, adding that no Hong Kong-related items were on the agenda anyway.

Nevertheless, it signals Beijing is not ready to open its borders with the city anytime soon.

"Beijing's prevention and control measures are very stringent. When there are changes to the pandemic situation in Hong Kong, especially when there are cases with untraceable origins, they will be even stricter," Tam said.

Hui says Beijing concerned of untraceable cases

While Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was able to go to Guangzhou for the opening of the Canton Fair a few days ago, Beijing is even more stringent when it comes to Covid-19. 

Government pandemic adviser David Hui Shu-cheong says measures for meeting top officials is even stricter, as they are worried of untraceable infections coming in.

"I am not too optimistic about the progress of reopening the border between the two sides, given what has happened," Tam said.

Neither are we.

Privileged Few Get Booster Shots

Regina Ip opted to get BioNTech jab for her booster shot

Back in February when Sinovac vaccines were available before BioNTech, pro-establishment lawmakers lined up with their sleeves rolled up to get the jab as a sign of patriotism.

Now it turns out six months later their vaccine has produced zero antibodies and some have lined up again this time to be guinea pigs to see what happens when they get a booster shot.

Ip said she had no detectable antibodies

One of them is Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, a member of the Executive Council. The participants of the study, being conducted at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley, were given a choice of either staying with the same brand of vaccine as the first two shots, or switching to a different one.

She and two other Exco members chose the BioNTech jab, as they said they did an antibody test and none were detected after they had taken the Sinovac vaccine.

According to Ip, the other Exco members who are taking part in the study are Chow Chung-kong, Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, Dr Lam Ching-choi, and Wong Kwok-kin.

Lam and Wong both advocated for people to get their third shot, but government pandemic adviser Dr David Hui Shu-cheong questioned the need for booster shots if people are generally healthy.

Hui questioned if healthy people need boosters

While higher antibody levels could help reduce the risk of symptomatic infections, their waning after Sinovac shots was consistent with data previously reported on the mainland, which had found levels were undetectable six to eight months after taking the jabs, he noted.

"They still have T cell responses, which can protect them from death or severe conditions," Hui said.

Healthy individuals whose antibodies have significantly dropped following vaccination should not be given priority for third shots, said Hui.

"Priority should be given to immunocompromised people, such as those who have undergone organ or bone marrow transplant, followed by the elderly," he said.

The six Exco members must be relieved to get booster shots -- all in the name of science, right?

Vaccine Hesitancy Drags HK Down

About 17 percent of Hongkongers have gotten at least one jab

 

It is shocking to discover less than 30 percent of full time staff at the Hospital Authority have gotten the vaccine for the coronavirus.

The authority's chairman, Henry Fan said on RTHK that around 24,000 staff members had been vaccinated, 70 percent of whom got the BioNTech jab. He said this was in spite of the authority offering half days off and shuttle buses to vaccination centres.

HA admitted less than one-third staff vaccinated

Tony Ko, the authority's chief executive, also said on the same program that while Hong Kong's case numbers are very low, he warned the vaccines had a limited shelf life.

"Of course we know some of the vaccines -- in particular in Hong Kong, the BioNTech -- they've got a limited time when the vaccines are more effective. So I think it is very important that both the public, and of course our colleagues as well, receive the vaccination as soon as possible."

According to government figures, only 17 percent of the city's population have at least one dose of the vaccine. 

One of my younger relatives received his second jab today and is so far feeling well. He managed to persuade his colleagues to get it, after they saw that he wasn't dead yet. Seriously? 

While his colleagues are half joking, getting vaccinated is not to be taken lightly.

Today Hong Kong recorded its first local infection with an unknown source in seven days, while Taiwan is seeing an outbreak of some 180 cases. Singapore's flareup threatens the upcoming travel bubble with Hong Kong set for May 26, while India's situation is out of control and absolutely tragic.

Getting the jab means avoiding tests, quarantine

Isn't that news enough to urge people to get vaccinated?

Unfortunately not.

The argument of getting at least 70 percent of the population immunized to create "herd immunity" is not of interest to them either -- they would rather be the 30 percent not getting the jab, except that they make up over 80 percent of the population.

Excuses abound with hardly any rational reasoning, that the vaccine was developed too quickly, some have serious side effects after getting their shots, or they weren't planning to travel anyway.

People younger than me claim they need to do a health check beforehand is overboard, and it doesn't help that some doctors aren't willing to give definitive advice to their patients to get the jab in case they have an adverse reaction to the jab.

Giving logical explanations doesn't move these vaccine skeptics either, that top infectious disease experts like Yuen Kwok-yung, David Hui Shu-cheong and Ben Cowling have taken the BioNTech jab and recommended it, or that the more people get the vaccine then more restrictions can be lifted, or that getting vaccinated allows them to travel again.

Even the prospect of travel doesn't sway people

The non-vaccinated group is completely unmoved. 

An acquaintance thinks it all boils down to selfishness, that while people were willing to don masks from the beginning of the pandemic, it wasn't to protect the rest of the community, but rather to protect themselves.

Even the argument that more vaccinations will help Hong Kong's economy get better isn't of any interest to them which is strange when people are obsessed about stock and property prices. An even stronger argument of being vaccinated avoids a longer period in the quarantine camp barely moves them to get the jab.

The only good thing is that the number of vaccinations can only go up, though at a much slower rate than we hoped.

Slow Vaccine Uptake in HK

Many have taken selfies of themselves getting the jab

 

Even though a lot of people (mostly expatriates) are posting on social media pictures of themselves getting the injection or of the makeshift medical clinic with the hashtag #HKTwitterGetsVaxxed, only 304,100 people have gotten the jab in total, either Sinovac or BioNTech.

Considering 5.5 million people are eligible for the vaccine, so far only 4 percent of the population has gotten at least the first dose which is still a very low uptake.

As a result the government is considering incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Chan hints at some incentives for vaccinations

Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee said today on a radio show the authorities would consider measures such as allowing those who have received a vaccine to enter certain premises, to visit care homes and hospitals, or to be exempt from other social distancing measures.

Errr... can you make these incentives more exciting? Sounds quite dull to be honest.

Infectious diseases experts David Hui Shu-cheong who was on the same radio program added that at least 50 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated.

"If the general public actually is actively taking part in the vaccination program, then I think we'll see fewer and fewer outbreaks in the community. By then, a lot of the social distancing measures can be relaxed," Hui said.

Sigh. 

The problem is most people are on the fence or don't care about being vaccinated. My hairdresser said, "I don't want to get the jab. The rest of you can get it so I don't have to."

Those vaccinated get special stickers

My hairdresser is dying to travel -- so getting a vaccine is most probably going to be a prerequisite!  

Even more bizarre is her parents are so pro-China and yet they aren't even touching the vaccine either!

Tonight I had to persuade my relatives to get the jab, that it was better to get it done now than later, but they were not in a rush to book online even though it would take five minutes.

Sigh.

The government better hurry up and come up with some really enticing incentives otherwise we're going to have to wait a really long time for at least half the population to get the jab...

Is Hong Kong's Fifth Wave Here?

At least 64 new Covid cases are related to Ursus Fitness

No one has declared it yet, but it feels like Hong Kong is on the cusp of its fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today the city logged a staggering 60 cases, following an outbreak at a gym in Sai Ying Pun. Ursus Fitness is popular with bankers and lawyers, which resulted in many firms and banks closing their offices because of positive cases, while the trainers there work in different gyms around the city.

Dr Chuang hopes gym outbreak can be controlled

There are 64 cases linked to the gym, while some 360 others are now in quarantine, and 20 preliminary positive cases recorded.

However, health officials are hesitant to call this growing spate of cases Hong Kong's fifth wave.

"I do not wish to see a fifth wave," said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, of the Centre for Health Protection. "I hope it can be controlled, but it has been spreading very fast. One infection has already led to many others."

Indeed. At least 12 other fitness centres were visited by Covid carriers, including in Taikoo Place and Central.

As a result there are now infections recorded in companies like HSBC, China Construction Bank, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, law firm Allen & Overy, while some Citibank employees who went to the affected gyms were told to work from home. 

In addition, at least 14 schools, including international ones have also been affected by cases or taking precautionary measures, such as British Kellet School, French International School, and South Island School.

Hui says the gym could be super spreader cluster

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a respiratory medicine expert at Chinese University, said the gym outbreak was similar to the dance club cluster in mid-November that ballooned to 732 people -- the largest in Hong Kong since the start of the pandemic.

"I worry the big outbreak at the fitness centre will be the prelude to the fifth wave, but the Centre for Health Protection very quickly quarantined close contacts," Hui told a radio program. "Hopefully that will stop the virus from spreading everywhere in the community. We will need to closely monitor the situation."

He was also concerned the gym could be a "super-spreader cluster" and urged an examination of the ventilation system and check how it is cleaned.

Meanwhile the interest in getting a vaccine has dropped after four people died after getting the Sinovac jab. They also had preexisting health issues, which led to many with high blood pressure and/or diabetes to not get the vaccine. 

Many worried about side effects cancelled jabs

A friend asked if I was going to get the vaccine and said she has an expat neighbour who cannot understand why people are not in a hurry to get the jab. He asked if people wanted the pandemic to end or not.

But for many, the lack of trust in the government has meant people are left fending for themselves and want to make the right choice when it comes to vaccines. They also worry about side effects since the vaccines were developed so quickly without enough long-term data.

Nevertheless, health experts have told the public that getting a jab is better than none at all, but many are waiting to see how others react to it.

Another friend got the jab today. He said there was no line at 9am and it was very efficient. 

At least Hong Kong has that right.

 

Was Lockdown Worth 13 Positive Cases?

Lockdown area near Jordan was crawling with health workers

 

Residents in the locked down area in Jordan are free to come and go now after over 7,000 people were tested. Of them 13 were found to have positive tests. That's a rate of 0.17 which is on the low side.

Over 7,000 were tested, 13 came up positive

Is that good or bad?

While it was good to catch those 13 cases, it seems like an extensive 48-hour ordeal that caused a lot of grief and stress.

A bit worrying is that several hundred people were not found in the door-to-door testing and one wonders if the government statistics are correct, or that many people fled before the lockdown.

Nevertheless, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee defended the move and wouldn't rule out doing something similar again.

Chan does not rule out lockdown testing again

"I think the compulsory testing and also the testing within an area with the restriction of movement is effective to identify and isolate these cases. Also the close contacts will be quarantined. So I think it's an effective method," she said.

Some critics wonder if this first lockdown was a test run to see how the public would react and using these residents -- mostly ethnic minorities -- as guinea pigs.

This compares to the beginning of the fourth wave started by the dancing cluster of mostly members of the wealthier echelon of society where they even refused to divulge where they were and with whom -- and were able to get away with not disclosing any information. 

With Covid-19 still hardly under control, Dr David Hui Shu-cheong, a government advisor on the pandemic, suggests the government quickly move to test the area around the Yau Ma Tei wholesale fruit market which is near the Jordan area. 

Hui says less notice should be given ahead of time

In a TV program Hui said he was concerned about those people who disappeared before the lockdown may be elsewhere spreading the virus, and said in future there should be less notice given to contain as many people as possible.

However, when hearing the word "lockdown", the immediate images come to mind are of the mainland Chinese ones, welding people's doors shut, or even dragging them out to the hospital which is probably what worried residents; perhaps some are refugees or illegal immigrants with language and cultural barriers.

The government also received a lot of criticism for supplying canned food when many didn't have can openers, and don't eat pork or meat. While some were forgiving, saying the authorities tried their best, others felt the authorities should know by now what Muslims and Indians eat, while elderly people had no kitchen whatsoever and were used to receiving hot meals delivered by social workers.

So it seems even social workers were left in the dark as to what was going on and couldn't reassure their clients, let alone ferry hot meals to them.

Each family got lots of instant noodles and cans

Was this whole exercise worth it in the end? Seems like a mixed bag.

In the meantime, residents who were released are celebrating by eating some decent food... they deserve it!

 

Carrie's Quarantine Hell

Lam plays hardball extending hotel quarantine to 21 days

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor gave residents a lump of coal just a few hours before Christmas Day -- that any Hongkonger returning to the city will have to quarantine in a hotel for not 14 days, but 21 days. 

The bombshell was announced just before midnight, not giving anyone a chance to try to come back as soon as possible, which infuriated lots of people who were about to come back or were about to leave Hong Kong and cancelled their plans.

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who advises the government on the pandemic, said this latest move was necessary to ensure undetected infections would not spread among local households.

Travelers were angered by quarantine time

"Tight border control is very important," he said.

The Chinese University respiratory medicine expert said the government also had the option to further raise quarantine to 28 days, but was unlikely to be used for long, even if introduced.

Nevertheless, the knock-on effect was immediate, with designated quarantine hotels benefiting from travelers coming back in the next days and weeks having to stay for three weeks, but will miss out on future business of those who were about to leave Hong Kong and cancelled their trips altogether.

Those impacted are not happy with the extra cost, while those stuck in the UK and South Africa will not be coming back to Hong Kong anytime soon. And when they do return, they will probably have to quarantine for three weeks on top of that.

Many in the UK are parents who thought they were smart to go visit their children instead of them coming back to Hong Kong, and now the fathers and mothers are desperate to return.

Tung and Leung are active critics of Lam

They should know especially in this fourth wave that the situation is changing rapidly not just in Hong Kong but around the world, that it is better to stay put than risk traveling.

But perhaps the main reason for this severe measure is pressure from Beijing or the pro-establishment camp on Lam to be more effective in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

She's recently received a lot of flak from former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying, both have no qualms openly criticizing her, which was previously considered a no-no -- they are supposed to support her policies.

In addition, the liaison office has been uncharacteristically quiet, neither defending nor attacking Lam; some China watchers think the liaison office is waiting to see to see how effective these criticisms are before stepping in, or seeing how far these critics can further humiliate Lam.

Either way it's probably a sign that Lam will be a one-term chief executive, which will be a relief on all sides.

But who who will replace her? Who dares to take on such a divided city? It's definitely not for the faint-hearted...

The Politics of Vaccines in Hong Kong

 

Hongkongers keen for vaccine but not Chinese-made ones

 

After last week's announcement that the Hong Kong government had procured 15 million doses of vaccines (two doses per person), but that the first batch of 1 million doses were from Sinovac Biotech and later another 1 million from Pfizer, a lot of residents were not interested in getting the jab following reports that mainland vaccines may not be up to standard.

Sinopharm's vaccine trial in Peru halted

A few days ago there was a story about Sinopharm's vaccine that was undergoing clinical trials in Peru was stopped after a volunteer had difficulty moving their arms.

It's not exactly reassuring to hear about news like that. Apparently these vaccines can't be tested in China because there are not enough positive cases there. Really.

Yesterday Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor blasted Hongkongers who claimed the procurement of mainland-made vaccines was politically motivated, saying Sinovac was chosen following advice from two expert committees of medical professionals.

"Just like all our other anti-epidemic works, there was malicious spreading of rumours, people stigmatizing and politicizing the vaccine procurement, while they quoted unidentified persons with negative comments," she said Tuesday. 

1 million doses of Sinovac vaccine will be in HK

But some residents retorted that if she and other senior government officials were injected with the Sinovac vaccine and they exhibited no serious side effects after two months, then perhaps they too would be willing to be vaccinated.

So while the government has done its best to procure vaccines, trust in the authorities has eroded so much in over a year that Lam and her administration have lost all credibility -- especially at a time like this. Everything has become politicized to the detriment of public health.

One solution? Pay volunteers to take the vaccine.

DAB lawmaker Leung Che-chung suggested at a Legislative Council health services panel that the government pay each volunteer HK$5,000.

"The government is being criticized for giving HK$5,000 to some people who are infected. Those who are infected are awarded. What about those who get vaccinated voluntarily?" he asked.

DAB lawmaker Leung

"If you don't have any initiative to motivate people to receive jabs, it may end up like your universal community testing program in September, when only one million or so people joined. It will be the end of Hong Kong, he said.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government will carry out promotion and educational work to dispel any rumours around the safety of the vaccines.

But really, isn't it most effective way to prove the safety of the vaccines is for these senior government officials to get the jab first and see what happens?

However the government doesn't seem to want to go down that route. 

At the same health services panel, government adviser and respiratory medicine expert David Hui Shu-cheong said he expects the Phase III clinical trial results of the Sinovac vaccine will be out next Wednesday.

In meantime the stalemate continues.

Mass Testing Yields Low Results

Sophia Chan (third from left) hoped 4 million to 5 million would be tested

Today was the last day of the universal community testing programme to test all Hong Kong residents for the coronavirus for free.

Here are some of the statistics: 1.783 million people took the test, which is about 25 percent of the Hong Kong population, though the program only found 32 positive cases, half of which were asymptomatic.

There were around 140 testing sites all over Hong Kong

What is interesting is that a number of people repeatedly took the test, and 301 used someone else's HKID, and signed them up without knowing, which led to 161 of those being referred to the police.

Also some of the people were forced to take the test by their Chinese employers as part of their work performance.

Before the mass testing program started, Health Secretary Sophia Chan Siu-chee expected 4 million to 5 million people would take part, though her boss, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor later said there was no target number.

Medical experts said there were a few reasons for the low turnout and numbers of asymptomatic cases.

Dr Hui says the downward trend led to fewer people tested

"There was a downward trend of cases [when the scheme started], and therefore fewer infections were identified," said Professor David Hui Shu-cheong of Chinese University.

"The public also felt they had lower risk and thus fewer people went for the test."

Another issue was people had to wait three to four days to get their results and would not necessarily isolate at home during that period and could have spread the virus.

Nevertheless, the Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan defended the program, saying: "The universal community testing programme can help us find some of the silent cases which otherwise may not be found... because some are asymptomatic and are not from the high-risk groups."

When reporters asked if another mass testing program would happen, Chuang said no, as it is difficult to organize, though out-patient clinics would still provide specimen bottles for those who wanted to get tested.

One-quarter of Hong Kong's population got tested

However, when Qiu Hong, deputy head of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong says the motherland will always be Hong Kong's strongest supporter, and that the city had to be able to defeat the outbreak and recover, there is always the possibility the central government will mobilize yet another mass testing exercise...

Get Ready for the Fourth Coronavirus Wave

Hongkongers' test samples will be analyzed in these temporary labs

Today Hong Kong recorded 18 new coronavirus cases, and residents being able to dine in restaurants until 9pm got a slow start. It seems people are not as eager to eat out again, or don't have the financial means to do so.

It must be a struggle for restaurants to stay in business, though many did not expect staying open another three hours would have a dramatic effect on their revenues.

Yuen warns people to prepare for the fourth wave in the fall

As if that wasn't enough bad news, an infectious diseases expert who advises the government on the pandemic, says we should be prepared for a fourth wave coming in the fall, because the cool, dry weather makes it easier to spread respiratory diseases.

"Summarizing Hong Kong's anti-epidemic experience over the last seven months can help us to prepare for the fourth wave of infections in the autumn-winter season this year," Professor Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong said on a radio program today.

He said even if the pandemic eased after two more weeks, it could only be called a "pyrrhic victory".

This latest wave, Yuen said, showed in the gene sequencing that the strain came from southeast Asia and was likely spread in the city by taxi drivers and restaurants.

"So, our border control must be almost 'watertight', and the number of people exempted from quarantine should be minimized as far as possible. All exempted persons should have virus tests in Hong Kong after arrival," he said.

Hui is hoping 5 million people will get tested these two weeks

Yuen also advised residents to minimize the time they spent taking their masks off to dine or chatting in a group, noting over half of the infection clusters were related to restaurants, bars, karaoke lounges and the like.

There were also clusters in wet markets, elderly care homes, construction sites, dormitories for domestic helpers, and the city's port.

To speed up contact tracing, Yuen suggested people take down the license plate numbers of transport that they take, as well as the addresses and phone numbers of restaurants and shops where they spend more than 15 minutes.

It sounds tedious but a good tip to help investigators track down possible close contacts as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, today is the first day people can register online for universal virus testing that starts on Tuesday. So far 220,00 people have signed up. The government says there is no expected number of participants, though it is strongly urging people to take advantage of the free test, and even took full front page ads of all the Chinese-language newspapers -- except Apple Daily -- to promote the testing.

Chuang is now towing the line, advising people to get tested

Another adviser to the government, Dr David Hui Shu-cheong is hoping 5 million people will get tested during the two-week period.

Will his wish come true?

When it was first reported that the central government would send manpower and fund the universal testing scheme in Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan didn't even know about it.

But this afternoon she recommended that people get tested...

Officials are finally falling into line. But will they take the test themselves?

That's the real test.

Two Extreme Reactions to Coronavirus

While there were fewer cases today, the trend is still worrying

Hong Kong recorded 73 new cases today which is a drop from yesterday's staggering 108 cases, but the city is far from being able to curb the virus that seems more virulent than back in March.

This morning top microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung warned Hong Kong may have to go into a virtual lockdown if the number of cases continue to increase in the next seven to 14 days.

Dr Yuen warned of a possible lockdown in HK

"We might possibly need to lock down, not a lockdown of the whole city, but... close to a lockdown," he told a radio program.

The reaction to the surge in cases has seen polar opposites. There are those who are terrified, and some 4,000 of them rushed to hospitals to get tested even though they had no connection with any of the recently reported cases, or they socialize like they did before the pandemic, and not as stringent about wearing a mask.

Perhaps that's why some of the cases are connected to a giant party on July 9 where some 100 people celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the handover (wrong date, but it was also on a weekday) with dancing and singing (mask-less), a birthday party, and a mahjong parlour.

A mahjong parlour had a cluster of infections

Professor Yuen said the outbreak could be attributed to a failure to control who goes through the border including quarantine exemptions, and that the outbreak happened after Father's Day, when restaurants were back to full capacity.

Meanwhile Dr David Hui Shu-cheong said taking the test without overt symptoms did not give people "any sense of security", and could stretch healthcare services.

"The text will only prove that you are negative at this moment, but it does not mean you will not get the virus the next day, if you have not passed the incubation period," said Hui, a respiratory medicine expert, who is also consulting the government on the coronavirus.

"People should not rush to the hospitals for testing unless you have symptoms or you were close contacts [with an infected person]. It will increase the burden on our health care system," he said.

Hui asks public not to overwhelm health system

"We encourage people with symptoms like respiratory disease and epidemiological linkages with earlier confirmed cases to do a test, but not the general public."

In the meantime, the rest of us should stay at home as much as possible, and as soon as you step outside your flat, wear a mask! We understand it's hot and stuff wearing one, but we all need to protect ourselves and each other together.