Coronavirus: Hong Kong ‘very likely’ to tighten quarantine rules, government adviser reveals, after helper completes isolation period and is later found to be infected
- Government adviser David Hui says scientific committee will study data such as number of recently imported cases involving Delta variant and L452R strain on Monday
- Fully vaccinated woman, 38, visited Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Stanley following her seven-day hotel quarantine
The 38-year-old domestic helper, who works in Stanley and carried the L452R mutant strain, was one of two new imported cases confirmed on Saturday.
Both patients, who arrived separately from the United States, were fully vaccinated with the German-made BioNTech jab and asymptomatic. The L452R mutation is linked to several variants, including the highly infectious Delta version.
A scientific committee under the Centre for Health Protection will on Monday study various data such as the number of imported cases involving the Delta variant and L452R strain in recent months and make recommendations on quarantine policies, according to Professor David Hui Shu-cheong.
“They are very likely to be tightened,” Hui said on Saturday.
The government recently revamped its anti-pandemic rules and from last Monday started using a streamlined process to assess the Covid-19 risk countries posed, allowing more fully vaccinated residents stranded overseas to return home along with foreign domestic helpers and businesspeople waiting to come in.
