HONG KONG – Hospital Authority CEO Tony Ko Pat-sing said today that the pressure on public hospitals has eased as the COVID-19 situation is stabilising.
Speaking at the daily COVID-19 briefing alongside Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Ko said the city's public hospitals are caring for 9,000 COVID-19 patients, and 5,000 of them are still testing positive.
He said some of those who have now tested negative are still in hospital because of underlying illnesses, but medics now have greater flexibility in terms of bed allocation.
Ko noted that COVID-19 patients no longer need to wait for long periods before being admitted to the hospital.
"Now basically people infected with COVID-19 who go to the accident and emergency units can be hospitalised if doctors think it's needed. It's no longer an issue," he said.
He said there are also fewer serious cases now and the number of deaths has fallen by two-thirds to around 100 per day.
Meanwhile, Ko called on COVID-19 patients not to wait until their conditions worsen before seeking treatment.
"Some people think they don't need to see a doctor or take pills because their symptoms are mild. This is not entirely correct," he said.
"Basically, people confirmed to have COVID can consider to receive treatment during the first five days of showing symptoms. For example... we recommend those older than 60 to visit the designated clinics or other medical organisations to undergo treatment with antiviral medication, even if they are fully vaccinated."
He noted that Hong Kong's 23 designated COVID-19 clinics are running at around half of their capacity, and elderly patients can walk in for consultation.
Hong Kong's COVID-19 tally stands at 1.16 million, including 8,061 fatalities, according to worldometers.info.
According to Macau's Health Bureau (SSM), the city's COVID-19 tally amounts to 82, not including 66 asymptomatic cases. No COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Macau. No COVID-19 cases are currently under treatment in Macau, according the bureau.
– RTHK, MPD
