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Coronavirus pandemic
Hong Kong

Coronavirus: Hong Kong hits grim milestone of 1,000 cases as authorities urge people to stay home over Easter holiday

  • City records 11 new infections, the fewest in nearly a month, but residents cautioned against letting their guard down
  • On second day of long weekend, fewer people flock to scenic spots and most follow social-distancing rules

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Fewer people visited the K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui on Saturday compared with Friday. Photo: Edmond So
Karen ZhangandKanis Leung
Hong Kong reached the grim milestone of 1,000 coronavirus cases on Saturday as authorities urged the public to stay at home during the long Easter weekend after thousands flocked to beaches and the countryside the previous day.
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Underlining the severity of the situation, a leading microbiologist said containing the outbreak before July was almost impossible as not enough people had developed immunity to the virus.

The warning came as the city recorded 11 new infections, the fewest since March 17, and the eighth consecutive day the number was below 30.

“If you take the seven day moving average, the general trend is a bit downward,” said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable diseases branch at the Centre for Health Protection. “I hope this is a persistent trend, not a temporary trend that could rebound.”

Passengers maintain physical distancing on the Kwun Tong MTR line. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Passengers maintain physical distancing on the Kwun Tong MTR line. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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Recent travellers continued to be the main source of cases, with 10 of the latest coming from outside Hong Kong. The single local transmission involved the girlfriend of a 28-year-old man already confirmed to have Covid-19. She visited the All Night Long bar in Tsim Sha Tsui previously linked to a cluster of infections.

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