The government also announced plans Saturday to send construction crews from China to build isolation units with 10,000 beds. This is after patients were forced to wait outside in the winter cold because of overcrowding at hospitals.
In the 24 hours preceding, there were 6,063 confirmed cases, bringing the territory’s total up to 46,763. Although this was slightly lower than Thursday’s 6,116, it is still one of Hong Kong’s highest daily totals.
Hong Kong tightened travel and business control to stop the surge. Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced Friday that the election for her position would be delayed by six more weeks to May 8, due to “public-health risks”.
Lam stated Monday that the hospitals in the territory were overcrowded. The government announced that the new isolation units and treatment units would be constructed in the Penny’s Bay district and Kai Tak.
After two hospitals with 1,500 and 1000 beds were constructed in Wuhan in early 2020, two crews from mainland China have gained experience in building hospitals quickly. 16 additional buildings were also converted into isolation hospitals.
Lam stated that her government would also use newly constructed public housing units, hotel rooms, and sports facilities to house patients.
Tony Ko, the Hospital Authority’s chief executive, apologized to patients for having to wait outside. He stated that most of the patients had been moved indoors and to other facilities.
