No plans to revive mask mandate or border tests as Hong Kong braces for flu season peak and rise in coronavirus infections, health chief says

Hong Kong’s seasonal peak in flu and Covid-19 infections may stretch into March, but there are no plans to revive the mask mandate or a testing regime at border control points, the city’s health chief has said.

Emergency units at 10 out of 18 public hospitals on Saturday morning saw waiting times exceed eight hours at some points as the city braced for a double whammy of flu and coronavirus winter surges expected to hit next week.

“We expect the peak to appear around January and February. Generally speaking, our winter peak often lasts even until March,” Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said in a television interview.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau says the seasonal peak in flu and Covid-19 infections may stretch into March. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Health officials recently reported that the hospital admission rate for patients with a principal flu diagnosis had already exceeded the threshold, signalling the start of a peak season, while the city was also recording more Covid-19 infections.

But Lo said the government had no plans to reintroduce the mask mandate. Authorities also would not carry out testing on arrivals at the airport or other control points, unless new infectious diseases emerged, he added.

“The severity of viruses is lower, and we also have effective vaccines, treatments and diagnosis, while the public is generally more aware of the disease,” Lo said.

“We are coping with a new model, and there is no need to use a coercive method to control the disease.”

Lo said the Hospital Authority had added more hospital beds, strengthened triage in emergency departments as well as increased the number of places in general outpatient clinics to cope with the increase in infections.

He also appealed to high-risk groups like the elderly and children to get jabbed.

Kwong Wah Hospital in Mong Kok was among the 10 public hospitals that reminded patients on Saturday morning that the wait at their accident and emergency departments would exceed eight hours.

Patients wait at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei. Authorities have urged high-risk groups like the elderly and children to get jabbed. Photo: Edmond So

The Post observed that dozens of people had been waiting since early morning, with most of the available seats in the emergency room waiting area occupied by 11am.

Sam Lee, who works in the renovation industry, said he and his wife had waited for at least three hours after they arrived at the hospital at 7am to see a doctor for their 15-month-old daughter’s fever.

“For babies, you really cannot wait if they have a fever,” he said. “If it is a regular cold or cough, then you can wait a bit, but it is really troublesome if it is a fever.”

Others waiting for their turn included a 36-year-old man who identified himself only by the surname Tam, who waited for at least three hours for treatment to an injured ankle.

The public health researcher said he decided to seek medical care at a government hospital as it had the diagnostic imagery equipment needed to examine his injury and that the treatment was cheaper compared to private healthcare providers.

“If I didn’t have the need, I would not come to the emergency room to queue for the better half of the day,” he said.

Health officials on Thursday said serious flu cases had increased slightly. Statistics showed 23 cases were registered last week, up from 14 the week before.

The percentage of respiratory specimens handled by public laboratories was also approaching the threshold.

The Covid-19 viral load found in sewage samples surged by about 40 per cent between December 24 and 30 compared with the week before.

But the authorities said serious or fatal Covid-19 cases had not registered a significant increase.