Rise in Hong Kong coronavirus reproduction number blamed on axing of Covid-19 restrictions and waning immunity, but increase ‘expected’

Latest figures show a reproductive number of 2.07, highest since March last year, but specialist says no cause for alarm as long as deaths, serious cases stay low

Experts appeal to public to make sure Covid-19 and flu vaccinations are up to date as waning immunity partly to blame for reproductive number increase

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Health experts have appealed to the public to keep Covid-19 and flu jabs up to date as the coronavirus reproductive rate increases. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 10:18pm, 9 Apr 2023Updated: 3:27am, 10 Apr 2023

Covid-19 is on the rise again in Hong Kong with a single patient now able to spread the virus to more than two other people on average when no precautions are in force, the latest health statistics have shown.

The interactive web-based Covid-19 case tracker run by the University of Hong Kong revealed the real-time effective reproductive number (Rt) for city cases jumped to 2.07 on March 30, up from 1.09 on March 29.

It was the highest reproductive number since early March last year and could signal another outbreak.

The news came as Hong Kong on Sunday reported two coronavirus-related deaths and 112 new cases.

Professor David Hui says the end of the mask mandate and waning immunity are behind the increase in the reproduction rate. Photo: Winson Wong

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, a Hong Kong government pandemic adviser, said the resurgence was down to the dropping of mask-wearing and waning immunity.