HONG KONG – Hong Kong health officials said today that the current COVID-19 wave had seemingly peaked, as they reported 31,402 new cases for the day.
The Centre of Health Protection (CHP) said 24,390 of the new infections were confirmed in laboratories using PCR tests, while 7,012 cases were reported by patients who tested positive in self-administered rapid tests.
Albert Au Ka-wing of the CHP said it looked like the outbreak had peaked at the beginning of March and there were signs that infections were dropping.
“We have seen the peak around March 2 to 4 reaching over 50,000 cases per day. After that, there is a decrease in the number of positive PCR* cases to around 30,000 and then further decreased to a level of about 25,000 to 30,000 in the past four days,” he said.
“Judging from the PCR positive cases, we’re seeing a gradual decreasing trend and probably we’ve already reached the peak.”
However, he said people should stay vigilant and comply with social distancing rules, so as to cut off more transmission chains.
Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority (HA) said 180 COVID-19 patients died over the past day, including a 48-year-old man who was otherwise healthy.
A chief manager of the Hospital Authority, Sara Ho Yuen-ha, said the man tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid test on March 6.
He sought treatment at a public hospital two days later as he suffered from abdominal pain.
The patient developed sepsis subsequently and passed away.
She added that there were another 101 deaths that occurred earlier but had not been announced.
Ho noted that Fung Yiu King Hospital in Pokfulam would be converted into another designated hospital with 260 bed for COVID-19 patients from today.
Macau's COVID-19 tally totals 82, with no fatalities, according to the Macau Health Bureau (SSM).
* Polymerase chain reaction, a technique in molecular biology for creating multiple copies of DNA from a sample
– RTHK, MPD
