City posts 4 new COVID-19 cases, over 16,000 tested in temporary centres

October 18, 2020

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan visits a temporary testing centre. (COURTESY: fhb.gov.hk)

Hong Kong health authorities confirmed four new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city Sunday, as a health official warned of a looming fourth wave of infections coming sooner rather than later.

Secretary for Food and Health Prof. Sophia Chan in her Sunday blog said the fourth wave may come early because the latest strain of the virus has higher transmissibility. She warned that in the past two weeks, 53% of the 116 cases detected by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) were local transmissions.

Of the four cases recorded today by the CHP, two are local infections that were linked to previous cases. The two imported cases are from India and the Netherlands.

Chan wrote in Chinese that the invisible transmission chains still exist within the community, and people still get infected in different spaces and districts of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government set up temporary testing centres last week in four districts to target areas where recent community outbreaks occurred.

In a press release, the Government said it has collected samples from 16,802 individuals over the course of the temporary testing scheme.

The Health Secretary reminded those who feel unwell should seek medical advice early to curb the transmission of coronavirus. Members of the public can still receive free COVID-19 tests when they submit their samples at the 46 general out-patient clinics under the Hospital Authority.